Star Wars: Galactic Civil War season 3
by Bendatron
Summary: Although Darth Vader is captured, the war is far from over and the Empire is far from defeated. As Princess Leia and Mon Mothma struggle to uphold the chain of command, the Alliance faces new threats from a sinister war tactician, a wild assassin droid, and a mysterious Sith Lord who claims to know the secret of life. But as the heat of war grows, do too does Luke and Ahsoka's bond
1. Fire Across the Galaxy part 1

**Author's note #1** : Well, I'm back again with yet another season. This chapter took a little longer than expected to complete (probably because it took some effort to get back into shape after all these weeks) but I managed to complete it eventually. Enjoy!

 **Author's note #2** : I know I said I was done with changing previous chapters, but there is just one more change. I've changed General Krenin's name to General Kuonzin simply because I felt it sounded more dramatic and more Star Wars-y. Writing _Star Wars_ names are actually quite hard when I come to think of it. Okay, this is officially the final change to previous chapters that I will make.

 **Fire Across the Galaxy part 1: The Assault**

 _The war between the Alliance to Restore the Republic and the vile Galactic Empire rages on like fire across the galaxy! Although Darth Vader, the Supreme Commander of the Imperial army, has been captured and contained; the Emperor remains untouchable! Granting full control of the Imperial military to the Grand Generals and the Grand Admirals, the Emperor hopes to lead bloody campaigns across the galaxy to push the rebels back further and prevent them from gaining any more ground!_

 _Thanks to underworld information, the Rebel Alliance has learnt of a rumor that the Expansion Region planet of Dorin, home of the late Jedi Master Plo Koon, has been secretly keeping Force-sensitive children without the knowledge of either the Alliance or the Empire! Hoping to debunk the rumor, the Alliance has made contact and have negotiated an inspection of the capital city of Dor'shan. As Admiral Ackbar's fleet approaches the system, Jedi Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano are sent down to the planet below; hoping to unravel this mystery…_

 _Dorin_

Luke and Ahsoka flew in a T-6 shuttle down towards the planet Dorin.

"Approaching the planet" said Luke "We should be there on schedule"

"Remember to stay on course and be careful" said Ackbar's hologram "The planet is situated between two black holes; if you pilot too close to it, it could tear you apart"

"And remember to stay professional" said Leia's hologram "I know the prospect of secrets being kept from you can be confronting; but you have to keep a level head and remain calm"

"Noted" said Luke.

"I wish I was down there with you" said Leia "Good luck, and may the Force be with you" The hologram ended. Ahsoka looked over towards the brown and cloudy planet that lay before them.

"I can't believe it" said Ahsoka "After all these years, I'm finally going to see Master Plo's homeplanet for myself"

"Better get your breath mask ready" said Luke "Because if what I heard about this planet is true, we're going to need it"

"Yeah, the Kel Dor wear those goggles and breath masks offworld for a reason" said Ahsoka. They descended down towards the planet; through the mountains, over the valleys, and past the plateaus (where a large serpentine eerm looked up at them and flickered it's forked tongue at them) until they finally reached the capital city of Dor'shan.

"We're here" said Luke. The city was situated in a large valley was compromised of small and isolated buildings made up of designs of domes, trapezoids, and ziggurats with numerous colored lights illuminating the city.

"There's the hanger bay we were told to land at" said Ahsoka. She looked down and noticed a party of Kel Dor was waiting there patiently. "And it looks like the welcoming committee's arrived" They landed in the domed dock below just in front of the Kel Dor that awaited them. "Remember the Kel Dor that I taught you?"

"A bit, I think" replied Luke.

"This might be a good time to put it to use" said Ahsoka. The two of them grabbed breathing masks and put them on securely before walking over to the entrance.

"Well, here it goes" said Luke. They opened the entrance and walked down the ramp towards the Kel Dor who stood before them. For Ahsoka, despite all the time she had spent with Plo Koon in the old Jedi Order, seeing Kel Dor without their masks and goggles seemed somehow more intimidating than seeing them with them on. Their hole-like mouths gave them the resemblance of a lamprey or a leech and the two pairs of mandibles on the side of their mouths gave them an insectoid appearance along with their beady black eyes.

"Koh-toh-yah" said Luke and Ahsoka simultaneously.

"Koh-toh-yah, Jedi of the Rebellion" said the lead Kel Dor "I am Chost Jii, prime minister of Kel Dor and I welcome you to our home. These are my aide—Or'orm Nechur"

"It is a pleasure to meet you at last, Jedi" said Nechur "We have heard a lot about the Jedi yet very few have visited our homeworld in our lifetime"

"We appreciate the welcome, but we should get to business" said Luke "I think you know why we're here"

"Indeed" said Chost Jii "But while we are on the subject, I must ask you; why is there a fleet stationed in our system?"

"Are you referring to our rebel fleet?" asked Luke.

"Yes" replied Chost Jii "What are they doing there? We requested specifically to meet with Jedi only, no more. Why have you brought a fleet to our planet?"

"The rebel fleet is only there as a precaution" replied Ahsoka "If the Empire hears word of Force-sensitive children on this planet—"

"I said before, they are just rumors" said Chost Jii "Your presence here is to give confirmation to the Alliance that we are not hiding anything"

"That may be so, but even the smallest rumor could arose suspicion for the Emperor" said Ahsoka "The Empire has…a particular fascination with Force-sensitives, so it's best to be on guard"

"Very well" said Chost Jii "Come this way" He brought them out of the hanger and over to a chariot-like transport and entered it, sitting down on the seats inside and going off through the city.

"Where are you taking us?" asked Luke.

"We're going to take you around the city to show you that we are hiding nothing" replied Chost Jii "By the time this is over, we're hoping that you understand that we wish to stay out of this war"

 _Meanwhile in Home One_

"I feel like I should be down there with them" said Leia as she looked out of _Home One_ 's window.

"As do I" said Ackbar "But we have a duty to stay put. They requested only a Jedi's presence"

"I just hope we're not in over our heads with this one" said Leia.

"Admiral, we're detecting several ships coming out of hyperspace on the other side of the planet" said a Mon Calamari officer.

"Any additional information?" asked Ackbar.

"They appear to be star destroyer in design" replied the Mon Calamari officer.

"That is not a good sign" said Leia. Suddenly, the _Executor_ came out of hyperspace on the other side of the planet being followed by several star destroyers.

"That ship, it's the _Executor_!" said Ackbar "I'd recognize it anywhere!"

 _Meanwhile on the Executor_

"Stay steady" said Admiral Ozzel "If we get too close to those black holes, we'll be ripped to pieces"

"Yes, we would" said a voice. Grand General Kuonzin entered the bridge and walked over to Ozzel. "But we're going to have to send down our forces eventually, won't we?"

"That may be so; but with the imminent danger surrounding the system, we send them down carefully to avoid losing any troops" said Ozzel.

"For all we know, the rebels and the natives are already aware of our presence, admiral" said Kuonzin "The longer we wait, the more time we give them to prepare. If we wish for this battle to be completely in our favor, we should use the element of surprise and the element of fear to their full advantages"

"Can we at least wait until the other fleet comes in to distract the rebels?" asked Ozzel.

"I suppose letting the distraction start isn't too much of a waste" replied Kuonzin "Have the men's suits been augmented with the breathing apparatuses?"

"Yes, general" replied Ozzel.

"Then I will go to prepare the landing parties" said Kuonzin "Inform me when Captain Piett and the others arrive"

"Acknowledged" said Ozzel "But there's still something that concerns me; how are we supposed to know that there are children on the planet? It's only a rumor; and if it turns out to be false, we could potentially be wasting resources on nothing"

"No, admiral; they're down there" said Kuonzin "Our spy confirmed it; about twelve Force-sensitive Kel Dor children, all right for the plucking"

"Are you sure this spy is reliable?" asked Ozzel "For all we know, we could be heading into a trap for all we know"

"He came to us desperate and in need of help" replied Kuonzin "I can tell mock from genuine, and he was begging" He turned and left the bridge.

 _Meanwhile_

"Keep your distance" said Ackbar.

"We've got to do something" said Leia.

"There's nothing we can do while on this side of the planet" said Ackbar "Given the distance, we may as well be shooting in the dark; and we'd have to rearrange our position if we hope to navigate properly around those black holes"

"Admiral, more star destroyers are coming out of hyperspace" said a Mon Calamari officer "And they appear to be arriving on our side this time!"

"This is not good" said Ackbar. Suddenly, the _Accuser_ and several other star destroyers came out of hyperspace behind the rebel fleet and began to fire upon them.

"Great, just what we needed; more star destroyers" said Leia.

 _Meanwhile on the Accuser_

"Engulf the fleet in TIE fighters and surrounded it so they cannot escape" said Piett "And remember; we do not need to defeat the fleet, we only need to delay them enough until the general says is enough" Countless TIE fighters erupted out of the star destroyers and flew over towards.

 _Meanwhile_

"Incoming TIE fighters" said a Mon Calamari officer "And they're coming fast"

"Prepare to engage" said Ackbar "No one gets past my fleet"

"It's all a distraction" said Leia "They're trying to keep our attention off the other fleet while they land on the planet"

"Then we'll have to land our own forces as well" said Ackbar.

"There's no point if they get shot down in the process" said Leia "One blast and they'll be thrown straight into one of those black holes"

"You're right" said Ackbar "Which is why we'll need a distraction of our own. Antilles…"

"What is it, admiral?" asked Wedge's voice out of the ship's comlink.

"We're under attack by Imperials and need to land an attack force on the planet" said Ackbar "We need a distraction to keep them away. Do you think you can manage that?"

"You bet" replied Wedge "I'll ready my men and we'll take off immediately"

"Perfect" said Ackbar "Just remember to stay away from the black holes"

"Got it" said Wedge.

"I'll warn Luke and Ahsoka so they can prepare the natives for the attack" said Leia.

 _Meanwhile_

Kuonzin entered the hanger and walked over to a large black transport that was both streamlined and sleek. Many more of its model filled the hanger. As the ramp lowered down, he walked up onto it and got inside where many stormtroopers and vehicles lay inside.

"General, Captain Piett has informed that the rebel fleet is now fully occupied" said Ozzel out of his comlink "But given the precaution required to pilot through, I'm not sure how long it's going to be until they notice you"

"These transports were specially designed for Dorin's black holes" said Kuonzin into his comlink "The Emperor himself oversaw their designs in case he ever desired to launch an assault on the planet. It seems they finally found a use; now, down to the planet!" The transports lifted off out of the hanger and blasted off towards Dorin.

 _Meanwhile_

As Luke, Ahsoka, and the Kel Dor strode along the streets of Dor'shan, Ahsoka felt her mind suddenly being drawn towards a mysterious force signature unlike anything she had ever felt before. She looked to her left and saw what appeared to be an old and abandoned ziggurat temple that lay in the shadows and sat not far from them.

"What's that over there?" asked Ahsoka.

"What are you talking about?" asked Chost Jii.

"That temple, what is it?" asked Ahsoka.

"Nothing, just an old ruin from the past" replied Chost Jii "Why are you interested?"

"I can feel something there" replied Ahsoka "Something through the Force"

"It's probably nothing" said Chost Jii.

"Maybe, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to investigate" said Ahsoka "Could you please turn us around so we can have a closer look"

"Relax, we'll get there eventually" said Chost Jii.

"With all due respect, minister; if that place is strong with the Force, it deserves our immediate attention" said Luke.

"I understand this fully, but I have already laid out a route for us today and we should stick by it" said Chost Jii.

"Please; we're here to investigate, and over there seems to be our best chance" said Ahsoka.

"The Jedi do seem to have a point" said Nechur "Perhaps we should adhere to their wishes"

"I understand that, but we're still staying on course" said Chost Jii "You are on our planet and as such must abide by our requests"

"Listen…" said Luke before noticing the hints of frustration in his voice "Listen; I know where you're coming from, I really do, but now's not the time for that. You're all in potential danger here"

"Is that a threat?" asked Chost Jii.

"No, it isn't" said Luke "It's—"

"Luke, it's Leia; come in" said Leia out of his comlink.

"Just a sec" said Luke "Leia, what is it?"

"The Empire has arrived and they've started attacking us" replied Leia "They also seem to be planning to invade. We're about to send ground forces your way, but with all the fighters swarming us it could take a while. Do you think you can mobilize the planet's defenses to hold out until then?"

"I'll see what we can do" replied Luke "Take care, Leia. Do you have any defenses?"

"We have guardsmen in case of an emergency" replied Chost Jii "What's happened?"

"The Empire's launched an attack" replied Luke.

"Because of our location, the Empire's never taken such a bold action towards us within recent history" said Chost Jii "Why now?"

"They must have heard word from the rumors of Force-sensitive children and come for them" replied Luke "The Empire has various Force-sensitives in their ranks, they search for Force-sensitive children to take them away and make them one of them; and they kill any they can't have"

"I told you before, we are not hiding anything" said Chost Jii "They are just rumors"

"It doesn't matter whether they are rumors or not" said Ahsoka "The Emperor believes it, and he'll have the whole city torn apart if it means he can get them" Suddenly, the transports blasted overhead at high speed.

"That can't be good" said Luke.

 _Meanwhile_

As the transports landed on the outskirts of the city, they opened up and Kuonzin stepped out with his mask retracted up over his face.

"Let's go kill some Kel Dor!" snarled Kuonzin "All men, out!" The stormtroopers (now equipped with special breathing mechanisms similar to TIE pilots' life support systems) marched out followed by various Imperial vehicles like AT-STs and 2-M hover tanks. From atop a sentry tower, two Kel Dor looked down with their electrobinoculars.

"Sound the alarm" said one of the Kel Dor "I'll contact the guardsmen to prepare the city" The other Kel Dor ran over to a button and pressed it, which lit up a large silver light at the top of the tower and sounded a loud alarming which echoed throughout across the city for every Kel Dor to hear.

"What the heck is that?" asked a stormtrooper.

"That is simply them calling for a challenge!" replied Kuonzin.

 _Meanwhile_

Yorryst Iagov (the head of the Kel Dor guardsmen dressed in grey and blue battle armor with a grey and blue helmet at the top of his head) ran into the armory of the defense building and grabbed a shield and spear-like weapon that had a blade at one end and a blaster at the other.

"Commander, Galactic Empire forces are approaching the city!" said the Kel Dor sentry out of his comlink.

"I know" said Iagov "We have been informed about the Empire's presence and been assured that the Alliance will help us. Right now we're mounting the defenses and evacuated the civilians to the underground. In the meantime, get out of there while you still can"

 _Meanwhile_

"Got it" said the Kel Dor sentry "C'mon; we have to—" Suddenly, a mobile heavy cannon blasted the sentry down.

"Challenge accepted!" smirked Kuonzin.

 _Meanwhile_

Iagov walked up on the walkway of a barrier wall guarding the left side of the city where various Kel Dor guardsmen had gathered with some at the turrets.

"Status?" asked Iagov.

"The Imperial forces have begun their march towards us" replied a Kel Dor guardsmen "We've received confirmation from the other side that the Empire is approaching there as well. They'll be within range within minutes, but they're so big in number that I doubt we'll be able to take them all out before they reach us"

"We'll take out who we can" said Iagov "We'll just have to beat the rest when they get to us, which hopefully won't be much once we're done" Suddenly, another Imperial transport flew overhead and various Imperial jumptroopers leapt out and flew down to them, shooting at civilians as they went. They were shortly followed by droidekas who rolled out, landed on the ground, uncoiled, put their shields up, and began shooting at civilians as well. "Man the fort; I'll lead the forces within the city and protect the civilians" As he ran down the stairs, the Imperials began firing with full force.

"Hold your ground!" said a Kel Dor guardsman as they fired back with their turrets and snipers.

 _Meanwhile_

"Looks like the assault's started" said Luke "I suddenly feel the urge to take on some Imperials"

"Count me in too" said Ahsoka.

"Leia, the Imperials have started their attack on the city" said Luke into his comlink "We really need that backup right about now"

"We have the transports ready, but we're still trying to fend off the fighters and star destroyers" said Leia out of his comlink "We're trying to make sure they arrive to the planet safely"

"Got that, but try to get them here before we become outnumbered" said Luke.

"According to reports, the Empire is attacking from both sides of the city" said Nechur.

"Then we'll just have to defend both sides" said Luke "I'll take the left side; Ahsoka, you take the right"

"Got it" said Ahsoka.

"Minister Jii, I'd advise that you get yourself to safety" said Luke "Your leadership might make you a potential target"

"I understand" said Jii "We'll head off straight away" Luke and Ahsoka leapt off the transport, ignited their lightsaber, and headed off in their respective destinations. "Nechur, make sure the Baran Do temple is protected"

"I'll get right on it" said Nechur.

 _Meanwhile_

As the Imperial jumptroopers and droidekas filled the streets, various Kel Dor guardsmen desperately directed the civilians off into the entrance of the underground tunnels.

"Quickly!" exclaimed one of the Kel Dor guardsmen "The stormtroopers are coming; if they find you, they'll—" Suddenly, he was shot at the back of his head by an Imperial jumptrooper who flew down and landed.

"Freeze!" said the Imperial jumptrooper as more jumptroopers flew down and landed beside him "The Empire is laying claim to your city, the larger will be here shortly to assist us further. If you wish to survive, you will submit to our demands and—" Suddenly, one of the Kel Dor guardsmen pulled out his blaster and shot him. The other Imperial jumptroopers opened fire and the Kel Dor guardsmen shot back.

"Protect the civilians at all costs!" exclaimed a Kel Dor guardsman. Suddenly, Iagov rushed in and decapitated an Imperial jumptrooper with his blade which drew the attention of almost every other Imperial jumptrooper.

"You made a bad decision coming here!" said Iagov.

"Kill him!" said another Imperial jumptrooper. They opened fire at Iagov who dodged out of the way and deflected the shots he couldn't avoid with his blade. He turned his blade around and blasted a jumptrooper out of the way before slashing another across the chest. Two jumptroopers charged at him but he leapt up into the air, kicked one of them into the other, and stabbed both of them in the chest with his blade. Suddenly, several jumptroopers flew down and landed around him.

"Hands up, hole-mouth!" said one of the Imperial jumptroopers. Iagov readied his blade in an attack pose. "Okay then. Fire!" The Imperial jumptroopers all fired at him at once but he deflected each of the shots and dodged the others. He then charged at the jumptroopers and carefully slashed them at the jumptroopers' breathing mechanisms, getting all of them in a matter of seconds. The jumptroopers' desperately screamed and tried not to breath in the air but soon collapsed onto the ground and died.

"You could have died like a warrior with honor" said Iagov "But when you choose to attack civilians, you prove yourself not worthy of such a reward"

 _Meanwhile_

Luke rushed towards the wall at high speed.

"Almost there!" said Luke to himself. Suddenly, he heard the sound of loud and boisterous maniacal laughter. Suddenly, E7-3S landed right in front of him.

"Surprise!" said E7 "Remember me?"

"Who…Wait, you're that droid who was working with Cad Bane on Kinyen" said Luke "But…you were destroyed"

"I was intact enough to be rebuilt" said E7 "Now; you had better thank the maker, because you'll be meeting him soon. Fire!" He ignited his flamethrowers and blew powerful flames at Luke.

 _Meanwhile_

Ahsoka ran through the city until she reached the right wall where Kel Dor guardsmen were fending it off from Imperial jumptroopers.

"Seems I've got my work cut out for myself" said Ahsoka as she readied her lightsaber.

"Down there, a Jedi!" said an Imperial jumptrooper.

"Get her!" said another Imperial jumptrooper.

 _Meanwhile_

A group of GR-75 medium transports departed from the rebel fleet and flew over to Dorin.

"There they go" said Leia.

"Antilles, keep a close guard of the transports in case the Imperials come after it" said Ackbar into his comlink "But stay alert at all times"

 _Meanwhile_

"Roger that, admiral" said Wedge "C'mon men, the admiral wants us to guard the transports" He steered his X-Wing over towards the transports with various X-Wings and Y-Wings following him closely.

 _Meanwhile_

"Captain, we've detected various rebel fighters turning towards the planet" said an Imperial officer "They appear to be guarding rebel transports"

"How did this happen?" asked Piett "How could they have organized this without us noticing?"

"We've been focused on the battle, sir" replied the Imperial officer "It seems they must have slipped through our gaze"

"I will not stand for this" said Piett "The last thing we need is the tide of battle turning in the rebels' favor; General Kuonzin seems to be…much less rational than Lord Vader"

"What do you want us to do?" asked an Imperial officer.

"Blast down as many transports as you can without getting too close to the black holes" replied Piett "That's our best option right now"

"No" said a female voice. Piett and the other Imperial officers turned around to see Emerl Hatana standing before them, dressed in a TIE pilot uniform and holding her personalized helmet under her arms. "Leave them to me"

 _Meanwhile_

The Kel Dor guardsmen desperately shot back at the approaching Imperial forces with their turrets; but for every one they shot down, it still wasn't enough to hinder them.

"Take cover!" exclaimed a Kel Dor guardsman. An AT-MP shot at one of the turrets and destroyed it.

"All pilots, the Imperials are at our gates!" said Iagov "We need you here now"

"We're about to take off" said a Kel Dor pilot out of his comlink "We're still preparing them for battle otherwise they won't last long"

"Hurry, or there won't be much left to save" said Iagov.

"Here we are!" said Kuonzin as the Imperials reached the gates "Now to make ourselves an entrance!"

 _Meanwhile_

Luke dodged back from the flames, now finding himself in a corner between two buildings. E7 laughed maniacally.

"There's no escape this time!" said E7 "Time to fry!" Luke looked over him and saw the tops of Imperial mobile heavy cannons arriving towards the city walls.

"Oh no, they're already here!" said Luke.

"And you won't be very soon!" said E7. Just as he lit his flamethrowers again, Luke leapt up into the air, stepped on his head, and landed behind him. "Now you're only delaying the inevitable" He turned to Luke again and blew more flames at him and he only just managed to dodge the flames.

"You just won't give up, will you?" said Luke. At that moment, a group of Kel Dor battle speeders sped past him at an alarming rate and over towards the wall. Kel Dor battle speeders were the shape of Mercedes, colored obsidian, and had a large cannon mounted on its back.

"Quickly, quickly!" said the Kel Dor guardsman who was piloting one of the speeders "The Imperials are breaking through our defenses!" Luke got himself up again, ran over to the speeders, and leapt on one of them.

"I'm coming to get you!" said E7. He activated his jetpack and flew after them.

 _Meanwhile_

Ahsoka desperately deflected the shots fired at her by the Imperial jumptroopers.

"Well, this is going great" said Ahsoka sarcastically. At that moment, a group of droidekas rolled up and began shooting at her. "You just had to come in on this, didn't you?" Suddenly, the droidekas shots hit the top of a building causing debris to fall over onto fleeing Kel Dor civilians and the guardsmen who defended them.

"Watch out!" exclaimed one of the Kel Dor guardsmen. They all braced themselves; but just as it seemed that they were going to be crushed, they looked up to see the debris faultily floating above them. Ahsoka had rushed to their side and was now desperately holding the debris up with the Force.

"Go!" said Ahsoka "Go, now!" The Kel Dor quickly rushed off.

"What are you waiting for?!" snapped one of the Imperial jumptroopers "Shoot her down!" The jumptroopers all shot at her, but she desperately edged from side to side to avoid their shots until finally giving in and letting the debris collapse on top of her.

 _Meanwhile_

"Admiral, we're about halfway through" said Wedge into his starfighter's comlink "We should be there soon enough"

"Good work, Antilles" said Ackbar "Keep going"

"And try to get there soon" said Leia "I just got a word from Luke. The Imperial forces are descending on the city and they're about to be overrun"

"We'll make sure it's not too late" said Wedge. Suddenly, a large barrage of laser bolts blasted forward and hit the engines of one of the transports causing it to blast out of control and was sucked into one of the black holes, crushing as it went.

"We just lost one of our ships" said Derek Klivian.

"What caused it?" asked Wedge. At that moment, the ear-splitting sound of TIE fighters hit the air and approached them from behind. "Oh no! A bunch of TIE fighters must have followed us in"

"I see them" said Klivian. A group of TIE fighters that appeared to have been stacked up in a vertical line flew up from behind them and began shooting.

"Watch out!" said Wedge "Remember, their main target will be the transports; and they're only this vulnerable while we're going through here. We have to protect them at all costs, but don't go too far to eithers sides" The X-Wings and Y-Wings fired back at the TIE fighters. "Admiral, we're under attack by TIE fighters. They appear to be keeping themselves in a vertical line to avoid being sucked into the black holes"

"This is most inconvenient" said Ackbar "We'll send fighters your way, but it may take some time with the Imperial fleet occupying us and the limitation of safe travel"

"Do what you can" said Wedge "We'll hold out as long as we can"

"I just hope it's long enough" said Ackbar.

"Yeah, me too" said Wedge.

"Wait, is that a TIE defender?" said Klivian. At the center of the TIE fighters was Hatana's TIE defender, easily distinguished by its black Sith tattoos that covered it.

"Blast as many of those transports as you can" said Hatana "We cannot give the natives enough ground vehicles to even out the playing field" Within moments, a dogfight broke out amongst the rebel starfighters and the TIE fighters. Both sides tried to stay at the center to avoid getting sucked into the black holes; but whenever one starfighter was shot, they would spiral out of control and get torn apart into nothingness within seconds.

"Keep them away from the transports!" exclaimed Wedge.

 _Meanwhile_

The Imperial vehicles fired brutally upon the gates to the city with the energy shield around the gates weakening.

"The shields are done for" said Kuonzin "We're almost through"

"They're breaching the gate!" exclaimed a Kel Dor guardsman.

"Stand your ground, men!" said Iagov "We must hold the city for however long we can" He and the other guardsmen lined up around the gates with their weapons ready. "Remember; whatever comes through, you will not fall back. You will fight to the last breath; if you die, you die with honor" At that moment, the gates were blasted open and a purple lightsaber was ignited. Kuonzin rushed through, deflecting the blaster fire and only cutting down the Kel Dor who were in his way. Within seconds, he had rushed off into the city, knocking Iagov aside in the process. "Stop him!"

"Commander, he's already out of our sites" said a Kel Dor guardsman.

"Where is he going?" asked Iagov.

"He appears to be going in the direction of the old Baran Do temple" replied the Kel Dor guardsman.

"Baran Do…oh no!" said Iagov. He picked up his blade and rushed off into the city after Kuonzin.

"Commander, wait!" exclaimed the Kel Dor guardsmen. At that moment, a barrage of laser bolts erupted from the dust surrounding the gates' remains. A group of stormtroopers marched through, shooting continuously. Suddenly, a large Phase II dark trooper stomped through, smashed one of the stormtroopers out of its way, and opened fire upon the Kel Dor guardsmen with its assault cannon.

 _Meanwhile_

Ahsoka lay underneath a large pile of debris, almost unconscious and her breathing slowing down, when she suddenly and unexpectedly heard a familiar voice.

" _Ahsoka…"_

Ahsoka's eyes opened and her breathing went back to normal.

" _Ahsoka…"_

"Master…Plo?" said Ahsoka. At that moment, some of the debris was pulled off and a Kel Dor hand reached down towards her.

" _Save my people, Ahsoka…"_

Ahsoka grabbed the hand without a second thought and it pulled her out.

"Are you alright?" asked a voice. As Ahsoka regained her vision, she found herself standing before a Kel Dor guardsman. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, thanks" replied Ahsoka.

"When we saw you get covered by the debris we feared that it killed you" said the Kel Dor guardsmen "I apologize for not doing it sooner, but we had to clear the area before we could uncover you"

"It's a good thing the breathing mask wasn't damaged in the process" said Ahsoka. She looked around to see stormtroopers and Imperial vehicles flooding the city. "So fill me in, what happened?"

"The Imperials broke through our defenses and they're now overrunning the city" replied the Kel Dor guardsman.

"Then let's go push them back" said Ahsoka while igniting her lightsaber.

 _Meanwhile_

"I'm coming to get you!" said E7 as he flew after Luke in the battle speeder.

"Does this thing go any faster?" asked Luke.

"We're going as fast as we can" replied the Kel Dor guardsman who was driving.

"Shoot at him more" said Luke "Maybe that will get him off our backs" The Kel Dor gunner at the turret opened fire upon E7, but he avoided the shots easily.

"He's still holding up" said the Kel Dor gunner. At that moment, Kuonzin rushed past them.

"Wait, what was that?" said Luke "It looked like—" At that moment, E7 landed on the speeder and charged up his flamethrowers.

"Time to—" said E7 shortly before his jetpack was shot and it sent him flying away into a building nearby. At that moment, Iagov stepped in the way of the speeder, his blade still smoking from firing a shot. The speeder stopped immediately.

"Commander, what is it?" asked the Kel Dor driver.

"I need your vehicle" said Iagov.

"What for?" asked the Kel Dor driver.

"The Empire has broken through" replied Iagov "One of them is carrying a lightsaber and appears to be heading towards the Baran Do temple. I have to stop him"

"Baran Do, why do I feel like I've heard that name before?" said Luke. Iagov looked up at Luke and noticed the lightsaber on his belt.

"So you're the Jedi who the Alliance sent" said Iagov "My name is Yorryst Iagov, I am commander and leader of the Kel Dor guard"

"It's nice to meet you" said Luke "I think I know your lightsaber assailant; his name is Kuonzin, him and I have met in the past. If you're going to face him you'll need my help"

"That would be much appreciated" said Iagov. He got onto the speeder. "Take us to the Baran Do temple" The speeder rushed off into the city.

 _Meanwhile_

The TIE fighters shot down an X-Wing which spiraled out of control into the black holes.

"We're losing men faster than anything" said Wedge.

"On the plus side, at it means they're too occupied to target the transports" said Klivian.

"But once they're done with us, I doubt they'll have much problem with the transports" said Wedge. Hatana flew after him and slowly and carefully locked onto him with her weapons.

"You're mine, pilot!" said Hatana. Suddenly, a pair of powerful blasts shot forward and destroyed two TIE fighters. "What?!" A group of A/SF-01 B-wing starfighter flew forward and began blasting down the TIE fighters.

"Seems the backup's finally here" said Wedge "Good work, admiral; you did great. Those B-Wings are actually quite effective"

"I'm quite proud of them myself" said Ackbar out of the starfighter's comlink "Oversaw their manufacture and brought them in shortly after the Battle of Yavin"

"Well, at least things are finally looking up" said Wedge.

 _Meanwhile_

Kuonzin sprinted up to the abandoned temple and stood at the main entrance, which was composed of black bricks either side of it to represent the two black holes around the planet. Within the darkness of the inside, the light of a single flamed torch stood burning.

"You can come out now, my spy" said Kuonzin "No need to hide from me" The torch light got closer and closer until it came out into the light to reveal that is was being held by Or'orm Nechur.

"Let's just get this done quick" said Nechur "Come, I'll take you there" The two of them walked into the temple and vanished into the darkness inside.

 _Meanwhile_

The transports flew down to the planet below and began landing and unloading the rebel vehicles.

"And there they go!" said Wedge as he shot down the last TIE fighter "Good work, everyone. Let's—" Suddenly, Hatana shot down a B-Wing that was flying next to him. "Oh damn it!"

"What is it, Wedge?" asked a rebel pilot out of his comlink.

"That cursed TIE defender survived!" said Wedge "Head's up, we're under attack!" Hatana spun around and around, shooting down every starfighter in her path. "Those are my men you're shooting down!" He carefully locked on aim of Hatana's TIE defender; but just as he opened fire, Hatana swerved aside and merely got a slight hit on the side of her wing.

"So that's the way you're going to play?" said Hatana. She swung around behind Wedge and locked onto him.

"Oh damn!" said Wedge. Hatana grinned as she was about to open fire on him. Suddenly, a Y-Wing swung in and blasted her out of the way. Wedge and the other pilots joined in and shot at Hatana continuously, causing her to spin out of control and down to the planet below. As she spiraled out of control, she desperately pulled her helmet, pulled out a breath mask, placed it over her face, and activated her ejection seat, flying off and landing on the right side of Dor'shan.

"You just landed on the wrong side of Dorin, missy" said a voice. Hatana looked up to see Ahsoka standing before her, her lightsaber ignited and pointing at her. "Surrender, Hatana"

"You really take me for a weakling, don't you?" said Hatana. She blasted force-lighting at Ahsoka who was pushed back but managed to deflect some of it with her lightsaber. Hatana then ignited both her lightsaber and leapt at Ahsoka, clashing violently.

 _Meanwhile_

Luke and Iagov arrived at the front of the temple and got out.

"Here we are, the Baran Do temple" said Iagov. Luke looked down at Kuonzin's footprints going into the entrance.

"Kuonzin's been here" said Luke "He must be still inside"

"Then it is in there where we shall go" said Iagov.

"What do you wish of us, commander?" asked the Kel Dor driver.

"Go back to the battle" replied Iagov "We'll only slow you down and you're of better use out there then you are here"

"Understood" said the Kel Dor driver. He drove off back to the battle. Luke and Iagov started walking into the temple.

"Stay close; it can be a bit of a maze so it's best not to get separated" said Iagov. The more they walked in, the darker it got. "I should have brought a torch, then we could at least have some idea of where we're going" Luke ignited his lightsaber.

"Does this help?" asked Luke.

"That's better" replied Iagov.

"I remember hearing of the Baran Do somewhere but I can't remember what they were exactly" said Luke.

"The Baran Do were a Force-sensitive cult among the Kel Dor people who primarily used the Force to look into the future" replied Iagov "They used this knowledge to prevent conflict and predict the weather and prepare the city in case of storms"

"What happened to them?" asked Luke.

"That part is shrouded in obscurity to most" replied Iagov "All I know is common information; shortly the planet came into contact with the Republic, the Force-sensitive children began being taken by the Jedi Order instead of joining the Baran Do and the cult as a whole vanished into obscurity over time. The precise details are very confidential; very few have access to them, even within the government itself"

"Oh, now I remember where I heard them from; my partner once had a Kel Dor friend who taught her about their culture" said Luke "She must have mentioned them to me at some point. So; I might be asking the obvious and I'll try not to sound biased or imposing, but does this temple have something to do with the "supposed" Force-sensitive children?"

"It is" replied Iagov "And it is not just supposed, this is where every Force-sensitive Kel Dor child is brought" Luke was stunned by this but at the same time he tried to hold in whatever animosity might be growing.

"Okay…" said Luke "Then I guess that leads me to my next point; this would imply that—"

"Our government has lied to you the moment you stepped foot on this planet" said Iagov "Every Force-sensitive child that turns up on this planet is found by the government and hid within this temple

"This makes no sense" said Luke "Why do this? Why lie about it? Isn't it obvious that it will only make things worse?"

"We were all lied to" replied Iagov "In fact, I only know of this because I overheard it via a conversation that wasn't supposed to take part in. The government has been very wary of Force-sensitives since the fall of the Jedi Order; so whenever they discover one, they send them off to the temple to keep them hidden" As they walked through the hallways, they came across the dead bodies of various Kel Dor guardsmen, some of them of which had dismembered body parts.

"This is Kuonzin's handy work, he always found a way to be surgical with his strikes" said Luke.

"Here we are" said a voice up ahead. Luke and Iagov hid behind a corner and peered out over the corner. They saw Kuonzin and Nechur up against a wall that had various markings on it. "This is where we're keeping them"

"Or'orm Nechur!" said Iagov quietly "How could he?" He was about to lunge forward before Luke stopped him.

"Wait!" said Luke quietly "In this confined space, Kuonzin will have the advantage; we have to wait for a better opportunity"

"You seem to be quite keen to send away children" said Kuonzin.

"I told you, I'm only doing this for the greater good of Dorin" said Nechur "If the riddance of these children will mean us no longer being a target for any Force-user, than I will take it" Using his Kel Dor fingers, he pressed on each of the markings in a particular order which opened a doorway in front of them. "They are just inside, take as many as you want; just honor the deal" Kuonzin smirked.

"Admiral, I want to prepare a bombing run" said Kuonzin into his comlink.

"Where would you like to target?" asked Ozzel out of his comlink.

"The entire city, leave no place unscathed" replied Kuonzin "And remember to only bomb once I give the order"

"Very well, but it may take some time to get the bombers down to the planet" said Ozzel.

"Bombing run?" said Nechur "But you said you would honor the deal we made and leave our planet alone! You can't—" Suddenly, Kuonzin ignited his lightsaber and stabbed Nechur in the chest.

"And like a feared individual, you believed every lie I told you" said Kuonzin "Once I'm done here, your planet is going to pay the price for keeping secrets from us" He pulled his lightsaber out and let Nechur's body fall to the ground before walking into the doorway.

"Okay, now we go after him" said Luke. He and Iagov snuck inside the doorway after him. Kuonzin looked up ahead and saw a chamber where various Kel Dor children of varying ages were placed with two Kel Dor guardsmen wielding force pikes standing guard at the door in front of them. Staying hidden within the shadows, the chamber began to shake from the ongoing battle outside.

"I don't like this!" said a young Kel Dor boy "It's too scary!"

"It's going to be okay" said one of the Kel Dor guardsmen "We won't let anything happen to you"

"It's strange" said a young Kel Dor girl "I can feel something weird"

"Weird?" said the other Kel Dor guardsman "Like what?"

"Just…something weird" replied the Kel Dor girl "It's scaring me!"

"You have no idea" said Kuonzin. As he stepped forward into the light, the two Kel Dor guardmen turned around and pointed their force pikes at him.

"Halt!" said the first Kel Dor guardsman shortly before Kuonzin slashed both of them with his lightsaber within an instant. The shocked Kel Dor children reeled back in horror and desperately tried to hide from him.

"Don't be alarmed, children" said Kuonzin. He walked over to an infant Kel Dor in a crib and slowly stroked its head in a sadistic fashion with his mechanical hand. "If you all do as I say, you'll all live through this" He slowly moved his hand down to the infant's throat and began stroking it.

"Are…are you some kind of monster?" asked a Kel Dor boy.

"Do I look like a monster?" said Kuonzin. At that moment, there was the sound of a lightsaber igniting.

"Are you really going answer that?" said a voice. Kuonzin turned to see Luke and Iagov standing in the doorway.

"Skywalker; and I see you've brought company" said Kuonzin.

"Step away from the children!" said Luke whilst pointing his lightsaber at him.

"And you expect me to simply comply?" said Kuonzin.

"Let's just say that we're not going to let you do this" said Luke. Kuonzin chuckled evilly.

"Funny, I wasn't looking for permission" said Kuonzin. Suddenly, he grabbed the Kel Dor infant from its crib and ignited his lightsaber. Luke and Iagov readied their weapons.

"Don't even think about it!" said Luke. Kuonzin laughed evilly.

"The Emperor never told me to bring them back, only that I should deal with the situation how I see fit" said Kuonzin "He never specified that I should bring them to him; well, not all of them anyway" He reached up with both his hand and pulled down two of the pillars that were helping to hold up the chamber causing the roof to collapse down. "Goodbye!" Still with the infant within his hands, he leapt over Luke and Iagov and rushed out of the chamber. As the roof fell down towards them, Luke reached both his hands up in pure desperation; but despite being able to keep the debris above them, he quickly began to give and started to collapse onto his knees.

"Go!" said Luke "Get the children out of here!"

"Right" said Iagov "Come on, let's go" As he led the Kel Dor children out of the chamber (with some of the older ones grabbing ahold of the infants), Luke leapt up and sprinted out, only just managing to escape before the entire chamber caved in behind him.

"Phew!" said Luke "That was close!" He looked over at Iagov with the Kel Dor children. "Is that all of them?

"All but one, which is the infant Kuonzin took; but we're all far from safe" said Iagov "We know what's coming; the moment Kuonzin leaves the city, he'll bomb us until there is nothing left"

"Fortunately, the battle outside should slow him down a little" said Luke. He looked over at Iagov and sensed a great flood of emotions within him. "This situation is really personal to you, isn't it?" Iagov looked over towards him.

"Of course it is" said Iagov "This maniac is threatening my city and slaughtering children? Do you expect me to be passive about it?"

"I know that but…there's something more, isn't there?" said Luke "That time you listened in on that conversation, there was something else you found out, wasn't there?" Iagov sighed.

"You're right" said Iagov "I suppose if I reveal it, I could at least find peace with it. Not all of the Force-sensitive children were taken here" He placed his hand over his face and peeled off what appeared to be a pair of contact lenses over his eyes to reveal a pair of silver irises, just like the children around him.

"Your eyes…" said Luke "…it's just like theirs"

"It is a mark of Force-sensitivity among our species" said Iagov "But I never knew this until shortly after overhearing them. I was the first Force-sensitive child born after the formation of the Empire; and as such, the government thought they could integrate me without ever knowing of what I really was. But after more and more Force-sensitive Kel Dor children were born, they panicked and stored them all away hidden here. All my life I felt like an outcast; but nothing could prepare me for this"

"It's a pity the Jedi Order wasn't still around" said Luke "You would have made a great…" At that moment, he remembered something; every time Kuonzin spoke into his comlink, he used his mechanical forearm to do it. "Wait, that's it!"

"What is?" asked Iagov.

"The battle outside might slow Kuonzin down, but it won't stop him completely" said Luke "But if we can take away his comlink, we might be able to prevent him from giving the order out"

"Getting rid of his comlink?" said Iagov "That should take quite some precision"

"Not as much as you think" said Luke "Get the children to safety, I'll handle Kuonzin" He sprinted off out of the temple.

 _Meanwhile_

Ahsoka and Hatana clashed as the battle raged on around them. T-2 repulsor tanks, AATs, and AT-APs helped the rebel troopers and Kel Dor guardsmen push back the Imperial forces. The skies were filled with Dorin starfighters (colored black and blue, shaped like a giant coconut crab, with a pair of fin-like wings on either side, and four laser blasters) that continued to push back the Imperial forces with aerial superiority. As they clashed, Ahsoka couldn't help but notice something odd: Hatana was indeed fighting, but she seemed to be almost holding back with her moves

"You don't seem to be giving it your all" said Ahsoka "Not interested in fighting a losing battle?"

"Don't make me angry!" said Hatana "You won't like me when I'm angry!" With a powerful kick and force-push, Ahsoka sent her flying back into the wall a building.

"Is this the best the Empire has to offer now that Vader's gone?" said Ahsoka as she walked over to the collapsed body of Hatana "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were holding back" Suddenly, Hatana's eyes opened wide with a deep shade of red and within moments her skin changed from green to silver and grey as she got herself up and hissed. "Did you just change color?" Suddenly, Hatana ignited both her lightsabers and leapt at Ahsoka, clashing violently with her in a completely unhinged and savage fashion. "I really regret saying what I just said" Within seconds, Hatana shot Ahsoka with a barrage of force-lightning that sent her flying back. She sprinted over to Ahsoka and continuously slashed at her over and over again before lashing out with her foot again and force-pushing Ahsoka into a pile of debris. As Hatana stood there snarling and hissing, she slowly closed her eyes and took deep breaths in. When she opened them again, they were once again their normal purple and her skin slowly faded back to green.

"You should have known better" said Hatana. At that moment, her attention was drawn to a clicking. She turned around to see a rebel trooper standing there with his blaster aimed at her. Several other rebel troopers and Kel Dor guardsmen surrounded her with their blasters aimed at her and they were soon followed by several rebel vehicles.

"You're outnumbered, Hatana" said Ahsoka as she got herself up and reignited her lightsaber "Even with that little trick you just showed me, I doubt you can take all of us down at once" Hatana reached to a button on her wrist and pressed it. "Surrender now"

"I don't think so" said Hatana. At that moment there was the sound intense maniacal laughter followed by a barrage of flames.

"Get down!" exclaimed a rebel trooper as E7-3S swooped in and grabbed Hatana by the wrist, flying off with her.

"Next time we meet, Ahsoka; remember to bring Skywalker with you" smirked Hatana as she flew off. Ahsoka sighed.

 _Meanwhile_

As the battle raged on, Kuonzin rushed out over the buildings and looked out over the landscape. It was at that moment he heard the infant in his arms crying.

"Oh quit sobbing" said Kuonzin "It would be a shame if I went through all this trouble just to kill you like this" It was at that moment that he heard footsteps coming towards him. He looked down to see Luke sprinting over towards him on the ground. "You're persistent, I'll give you that"

"Let go of the infant, Kuonzin!" said Luke. Kuonzin looked down at the crying infant in his arms; and beneath his mask, he grinned evilly.

"Sure thing!" said Kuonzin. He lifted the infant into the air and threw him before rushing off. Luke gasped and quickly force-gripped the infant before it could even reach the ground. He slowly and carefully summoned the crying infant into his hands and began to comfort it.

"Shhh!" said Luke softly as he tried to calm it down. He then lifted his head up and looked over at Kuonzin, who was now rushing over to the wall. When he reached it, he was quickly intercepted by a group of rebel troopers and Kel Dor guardsmen.

"Freeze!" said a rebel trooper "Don't move!" Suddenly, Kuonzin ignited his lightsaber and slashed forward, striking down several rebel troopers and Kel Dor guardsmen. The remaining ones opened fire on him but he deflected their shots and struck them down within seconds.

"Pathetic!" said Kuonzin. At that moment, Iagov leapt up behind him and spun his blade. "Another Kel Dor that's come to die; this is getting tedious"

"You've killed enough of my people today" said Iagov.

"And I intend to kill more the moment I leave this city" said Kuonzin. Luke leapt up and ignited his lightsaber.

"You're not getting away this time!" said Luke.

"The only difference this time is that you're going to die" said Kuonzin. He and Luke began clashing blades violently until they found themselves locking them in pure intensity. Suddenly, Kuonzin head-butted him and pushed him away with his foot. Before Luke could get himself up, Kuonzin leapt onto him, pinned him down with his foot, and stabbed his lightsaber down towards Luke's face. Luke was able swerve his head far enough to the side to avoid it, but Kuonzin began to slide the blade over to his head. Luke desperately grabbed onto his wrists to slow him down but found himself being overpowered. Suddenly, Iagov threw his blade and hit Kuonzin in the leg, allowing Luke to wriggle free. Kuonzin desperately swung at Luke again, but Luke struck forward with full force and ended up slashing Kuonzin's mechanical forearm off. Mace Windu's lightsaber flew into the air and landed just next to the edge. Kuonzin attempted to lunge for it but Iagov sprinted up to him and grabbed him by the leg.

"Go!" said Iagov. Luke ran over to the lightsaber, picked it up, and ignited it. Kuonzin spun around and slammed Iagov onto the ground before pulling the blade out of his leg, throwing it to the side, and getting himself up.

"Taking someone else's lightsaber; for someone who wants to be a Jedi, that is pretty low" said Kuonzin.

"Not as low as what you've done" said Luke. He charged at Kuonzin who dodged aside. Luke tried again but Kuonzin dodged again and whipped him off his feet with his tail. As he walked over to Luke, ready to finish him off, Iagov got himself up, grabbed his blade, and charged at Kuonzin who grabbed ahold of it with his foot and pushed him back.

"You know, your persistence is almost admirable" said Kuonzin "But I have no interest in any of that"

"Then I guess I'll just have to make you" said Iagov.

"Very well" said Kuonzin. He reached to his back, pulled off a Jedi temple guard double-bladed lightsaber pike, ignited the blade, and stabbed it right through Iagov's belly.

"Iagov!" exclaimed Luke. Kuonzin kicked Iagov away before turning back to Luke and swinging at him with full force. Luke fought back, but found himself somewhat inexperienced and clumsier with two lightsabers. Although Luke held his own, Kuonzin eventually overpowered him and force-pushed him into the ground. The weakening Iagov lifted his head up, grabbed his blade, and slowly got himself up and walked over to them.

"And thus the galaxy loses another Jedi before he could even become one" said Kuonzin as he raised his lightsaber pike up high. Suddenly, Iagov charged into him, stabbed him in the leg with his blade, and pushed him off the edge of the wall, collapsing on the edge afterwards. Luke ran over to his side and rolled him over. Iagov lay lifeless before him; the silver of his eyes had faded away and as Luke closed his eyes and concentrated, he could almost feel him vanish and become one with the Force.

 _Later_

"The Imperial fleet has completely disappeared from the system" said Ackbar as he walked over to Wedge who was doing repairs to his X-Wing "And according to Commander Skywalker and Commander Tano, their ground forces have retreated as well. Well, at least the fighting's over for now"

"I would've been dead out there if it wasn't for that Y-Wing that swooped in and shot the defender down" said Wedge "I own him big time. Where is he?"

"The Y-Wing that entered the battle late is over there" replied Ackbar as he gestured at a Y-Wing "I think the pilot is still in there" Wedge turned to the Y-Wing that he had gestured to just as the cockpit opened up. A female rebel pilot stepped out and pulled her helmet off, revealing herself to be Leia.

"Princess Leia?" said Wedge.

"That was good piloting out there, ace" said Leia "We need men like you out there" She walked off out of the hanger.

"She sure is full of surprises, isn't she?" said Wedge.

 _Meanwhile_

Chost Jii sat at a table when Luke entered the room.

"The Alliance is helping to rebuild the city and we'll give you with whatever resources of supplies you need to recover" said Luke "We'll even offer you protection if you ask for it"

"You're doing this for us despite the fact that we wronged you" said Chost Jii "Are you already forgetting that I lied to you?"

"We're not" said Luke "But unlike the Empire, we don't hold worlds in spite"

"It was just so difficult to make out" said Chost Jii "Ever since the death of Jedi Master Plo Koon and the subsequent rise of the Galactic Empire, we had no idea of what to do with any Force-user that may emerge from our kind. Eventually when one did turn up about a year afterwards, we thought we could simply integrate him in without anyone else noticing. But after more and more kept turning up, we began to panic on what to do; so we began hiding them within the old Baran Do temple, hoping that its history in the Force would block them out. I should have listened to Nechur from the moment he told me that covering it up wasn't good idea, and then perhaps he would never have turned to such desperate measures. What is to become of the children?"

"They're going to spread out into hiding across the galaxy, in places where the Empire won't go looking for them" replied Luke "Hopefully the war will keep them occupied"

"Just make sure that those who look after them are better than we ever were" said Chost Jii "There's something else you wish to discuss, isn't there?"

"I wouldn't call it a discussion, but there is something" said Luke "I want Captain Yorryst Iagov to be honored; if it weren't for him, we'd probably all be dead"

"It will done" said Chost Jii.

 _Meanwhile_

Ahsoka stood outside the parliament building looking up at the statue of a Kel Dor dressed in robes that reminded her of Plo Koon.

"Well, it's done" said Luke as he walked out of the building "Some of the Alliance leaders, especially Fey'lya, are pretty upset at being lied to; but I think relations should improve as time goes on" Ahsoka smiled and looked back up at the Kel Dor statue. "Is something upsetting you?"

"Do you remember some time back when you asked me what Obi-Wan would have thought of you?" asked Ahsoka. Luke nodded. "I've often asked that to myself sometimes. What would Anakin think of me if he saw me return to the Jedi? I've never going to see Anakin again, and the last he ever saw of me I was turning my back on the entire Order and not wishing to come back. Being on Master Plo's homeworld and interacting with his people just reminds me of everything I left behind on that day"

"It's perfectly fine to think that way, Ahsoka; but we should stay focus on where we currently are and what we're doing" said Luke. Ahsoka smiled.

"Obi-Wan taught you well" said Ahsoka.

"I guess that's why I'm the teacher" smirked Luke.

"And the student!" said Ahsoka whilst playfully pushing Luke "Remember, we both are in this apprenticeship; but I guess since I'm the more experienced, I'd be the teacher if anything"

"That's a matter of some debate" smirked Luke. At that moment, his comlink buzzed. "What is it?"

"Luke, I've just received word from Mon Mothma that the Alliance has been contacted by the Wookiee resistance on Kashyyyk" said Leia out of his comlink "You and Ahsoka have been selected to help them drive back Imperial forces. Han and Chewbacca are on their way to pick you up now"

"Got it" said Luke "Thanks for the heads up. Looks like we're going to help the Wookiees"

 _Meanwhile somewhere in the Unknown Regions_

Aboard a star destroyer lay a large dark room. It was filled with various artefacts and artwork (some of which were holographic). At the center of the room lay a chair with the \shape of a small lizard-like creature lying on top of it fast asleep. Surrounding the chair was holographic screens showing various battles Luke, Ahsoka, and other rebels were fighting in. On the chair sat the silhouette of a humanoid figure. The darkness of the room made him features except for his eyes which were bright red, glowed in the dark, and lacked any visible pupils. Although the lack of pupils made it difficult to see where he was looking at, you could tell that he was watching, observing, studying…

 **Author's note** : So, it might take some time for the next chapter to be released since I'm currently travelling and the places I go vary on whether they have internet, but I'll do my best to keep my work up. That's all for now, see you all on the dark side…


	2. Fire Across the Galaxy part 2

**Fire Across the Galaxy part 2: The Shadowlands**

 _After defending the planet Dorin against the Galactic Empire, Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano received a transmission detailing that they had been given a new assignment to assist the Wookiees on their homeworld of Kashyyyk. Ever since the city of Kachirho was liberated, the Wookiees resistance against the Empire has increased and various Imperial outposts have come under hit and run attacks! In order to quell the issues on Kashyyyk, the Emperor has dispatched Grand General Giocal Mokimtho to take control of Imperial operations on the planet!_

 _With Imperial defenses heightening and the attacks becoming less successful, Wookiee chieftain Tarfful has called for a gathering of the remaining free Wookiee forces and has called the Rebel Alliance for assistance. As Luke and Ahsoka make their war to join the rebel forces gathering around Kachirho, they hope to end this crisis and turn the tide of the battles in the Wookiees' favor…_

 _Millennium Falcon, hyperspace_

Within the main hold of the _Falcon_ , Luke and Ahsoka were practicing dueling with a pair of vibroswords.

"These vibroswords feel different than lightsabers" said Ahsoka.

"I know" said Luke "But if we use lightsabers we'd just make a mess of the place, and there's no way Han's going to forgive that; training remotes are one thing, lightsabers swinging around the place and cutting everything up is another" As Luke turned his concentration back to the dueling, he couldn't help but notice that while Ahsoka may not have finished her training as a padawan she still had the advantage over him. While his work with the Alliance had helped him gain a lot of experience with his lightsaber and with the Force, Ahsoka had been trained since she was just a youngling and had gained lots of experience while training under his father while he had only begun his training about a year ago.

"Even with a foreign weapon, I still have the edge over you, Skyguy!" smirked Ahsoka as she drove Luke back.

"We'll see about that" said Luke. Suddenly, Ahsoka pushed him back so hard that he fell onto the ground and dropped his vibrosword in the process. Ahsoka sighed, threw her vibrosword to the side, ran at Luke, and leapt up into the air, slamming herself down on Luke. She laughed continuously until she noticed that she was lying right on top of Luke and their fingers had intertwined.

"Oh…sorry" said Ahsoka "I just got a little carried away"

"No…it's okay" said Luke as he tried to fight back a blush. At that moment, there was a sharp whistle. Luke and Ahsoka turned their heads to the doorway where they found Han standing there and staring at them.

"Firstly, the crew quarters are down the hallway to the back" said Han "Secondly, we're almost there"

"Oh; thanks, Han" said Luke as Ahsoka slipped off him.

"It's, uh…it's not what it looks like" said Ahsoka as she stroked her lekku back as if they were the bangs of her hair.

"Word of advice, kids; try not to make the ship move so much that it goes off course and ends up in an Imperial armada or something" smirked Han "Get your lightsabers ready, we'll be landing soon" He left the main hold and walked over to the cockpit where Chewbacca was waiting for him in the co-pilot's seat and growled. "I'm sure they'll be alright. You Wookiees are survivors, remember" Chewbacca growled. "Then we'll just free them, we always do that" Chewbacca growled again. "Every battle's one we might not win, we just need to push extra hard so we can" As Luke and Ahsoka entered the cockpit, they came out of hyperspace above Kashyyyk.

"Doesn't seem to be much Imperial activity around the planet" said Ahsoka.

"The Empire's presence and hold over the planet is lessening but it's still there" said Han "But it at least means we can land on the planet just fine, provided we don't mess around and get their attention" He flew the _Falcon_ down towards a dense forest under the sunset and landed in the middle of a small clearing with a perimeter of markers surrounding it.

"Are you sure it's okay to land here?" asked Luke "I can't see any civilizations or anything"

"The Alliance and the Wookiees really want to keep this gathering under wraps so we've been instructed to land at a designated remote area" replied Han "If we fly in to Kachirho we'd probably just draw attention from Imperials" The four of them stepped outside from the loading ramp and walked over to Rachi Sitra an Katooni who stood in the clearing in front of them with a large brown Wookiee by their side.

"Greetings and welcome to Kashyyyk" said Sitra "I apologize for the crude means of arrival, but I think we both know that's it's better to land somewhere less civilized. This is Deeferh, he's guide in this part of the forest" The Wookiee beside them growled and Chewbacca growled back.

"Not much in the way of defense" said Han as he looked around "You sure it's okay to land here? I don't want any unwanted visitors aboard the _Falcon_ "

"These markers that surround the place keep animals away" replied Sitra "Your ship will be perfectly safe"

"So how far to Kachirho?" asked Luke.

"Not far, but it is quite some walking distance" said Sitra "Fortunately, we have a way to travel" Deeferh brought a saddled sureggi over to them by the reins.

"I'm guessing this is the part where we hop on" said Han. They all saddled themselves up onto the beast with Deeferh taking the reins and riding off into the undergrowth.

 _Meanwhile_

A group of scout troopers arrived at an Imperial base at the edge of the forest. Giocal Mokimtho (a somewhat overweight Imperial grand general with brown hair and a brown beard that encircled his mouth) stepped out with a pair of Imperial riot troopers.

"Report" said Mokimtho.

"We've searched the perimeter and found no sign of Wookiee or rebel forces" said one of the scout troopers "The second patrol is likewise"

"When is the next patrol schedule?" asked Mokimtho.

"One hour" replied the scout trooper.

"Then we will continue as scheduled" said Mokimtho "With no activity in the area, there is no need to"

"Or maybe they are regrouping and devising their plan of attack" said a voice. General Tame Cronos walked up to Mokimtho with Ga'llaa by his side.

"A bold statement" said Mokimtho "One that cannot be supported, I'm afraid"

"What's there not to support?" said Cronos "I do trust that your patrols have covered the forest around Kachirho"

"Not exactly, I'm afraid" replied Mokimtho "We've made attempts but ultimately they fall prey to attacks from either Wookiees or wildlife"

"Then why the skepticism?" asked Cronos "Isn't it obvious that that is where the Wookiees' resistance is taking root? Wouldn't it be better to simply attack them now while we have the advantage?"

"Because it's unnecessary" replied Mokimtho "We'll let the Wookiees come to us and their forces will split against our defense"

"Your statement is naïve" said Cronos "We have the strength, we have the resources; for any good tactician this would be a perfect opportunity to end the enemy while they're still only gaining strength"

"You fear the Wookiees?" said Mokimtho.

"Not at all" said Cronos "But they are more than just simple animals, they now how to get organized and how to fight properly; and with the Alliance backing them up, they would no doubt have more than doubled in strength"

"Even with help from the Alliance, they still do not have the advantage" said Mokimtho "The Empire has been here for about two decades now; even with our control fractured, we still hold a powerful stake"

"And the Wookiees have been here longer than any of us" said Cronos "We may have weakened them, but their stake goes deeper than any of our forces; and they have adapted to life here, which gives them a home advantage"

"Perhaps, but you forget another key factor" said Mokimtho "We hold the technological advantage; thanks to you, of course" A stern look befell on Cronos' face.

"If you're so sure of yourself, why do you even need me?" asked Cronos.

"Because you have good ideas in the way of technology" replied Mokimtho "You can supply us with them so we can build them and use them. But I am grand general and you are merely high general so I outrank you; and while I am, I have final say and I say that we do not go on the offensive until I deem it"

"And what if you are wrong?" said Cronos "What if the Wookiees and the Alliance are gathering together right now and preparing to assault with full force?"

"Then they'll just have to walk into their own grave" replied Mokimtho. As he turned and left with the riot troopers and scout troopers following him, Cronos smiled evilly.

"Things change" said Cronos "If something were to happen to you…I could be made highest ranking member here" He glared towards Ga'llaa who snarled, retracted his assassin blade out, and placed it right beneath his neck.

"You expect me to blindly follow these orders?" said Ga'llaa "You forget that I only serve you as a favor to the Lord Vader"

"He is in prison while I stand here" said Cronos "Besides; if you really didn't like what I make you do, wouldn't you simply kill me?" With a huff, Ga'llaa released him.

"You forget, my allegiance is to the Lord Vader above all else" said Ga'llaa "My allegiance to you however has its limits; and if you're not careful, it might just wear thin"

"You are dismissed, Ga'llaa; return to your quarters" said Cronos. Ga'llaa huffed and walked off. "I guess I have to deal with this myself" He snuck off out of view and pulled out a communicator. "Fulcione, I have an issue"

"What's the problem?" asked a voice from the communicator.

"General Mokimtho has been less than accepting of my input" replied Cronos "He seems convinced that his position gives him power over me. I think it's been long enough since my last promotion. Are the assets ready?"

"They are" replied the voice "And if we execute it properly, it will be flawless and won't attract any suspicion"

"Do it well" said Cronos. Unbeknownst to him, Ga'llaa was watching him from behind a crate and bared his teeth.

 _Meanwhile_

The sureggi reached the end of the forest and stopped outside Kachirho.

"We're here" said Sitra. They got off the sureggi and followed Deeperh on a walkway up a tree until they reached a platform at the canopy.

"Wow, this is some view up here" said Katooni. At that moment, a group of Wookiees surrounded them, holding their blasters and melee weapons threateningly.

"Um; Chewie, do you think you could tell the Wookiees to calm down a little?" asked Han. But before Chewbacca could even open his mouth, a loud and distinctive roar hit the air and the Wookiees froze and lowered their weapons. Tarfful with two Wookiees by his side walked through the crowds over to them. He placed his hand on Chewbacca's shoulder and growled as Chewbacca did the same. He then turned to the rest of them.

"This is Tarfful, Wookiee chieftain of Kachiro" said Sitra "He's in charge of the Wookiee resistance here on Kashyyyk" Tarfful growled again.

"What's he saying?" asked Katooni.

"He apologizes for the unwelcome behavior" replied Sitra "The Wookiees have been troubled by the Imperials for some time now and are a little uneasy around Humans now" Tarfful growled again.

"And what was that?" asked Katooni.

"He tells us that the gathering is going to be held inside and it will commence shortly" replied Sitra "We're to follow him inside" Tarfful turned towards the hut at the center of the platform and walked over to it.

"You seem to be awfully calm when listening to the Wookiees speak" said Ahsoka.

"All this time, along with what you and Han have taught me, I think I've pretty much got a hang of Shryriiwook" said Luke "It took time, but I got used to it. Wouldn't call myself an expert on it though"

"I'm surprised you still have difficulty understanding Shryiiwook considering the time that we've been here and since you shared an initiative clan with a Wookiee" said Sitra.

"I was able to work some things out, but I was only a kid at the time so learning it wasn't easy" said Katooni "Beside, I haven't seen him in years; I'm not sure whether he survived the purge or not" When they entered the central hut, Tarfful walked up to a group of Wookiees gathered and spoke to them.

"Those must be the Wookiees from Palsaang, the ones that were arriving today for the gathering" said Sitra. Tarfful turned to them and growled. "He tells us that the Wookiees from Palsaang had trouble getting here, but they had help thanks to the Jedi Knights who came to their aide"

"Jedi Knights?" said Luke "I'm not sure if I'm hearing you guys right. Was that a mistranslation?"

"No, it wasn't" replied Sitra. At that moment, Petro Joanda* and Gungi walked up to them. Ahsoka smiled.

"Gungi?" said Katooni "Petro?!" She rushed up to them and hugged Petro. "Man, I haven't seen you in years!"

"Oh…hey, Katooni" said Petro. Katooni felt a great deal of confusion over Petro's surprisingly stoic tone. Ahsoka's smile faded.

"Is…Is something wrong?" asked Katooni.

"It's…uh, it's nothing" said Petro "Never mind" Outside, countless Wookiees and rebel troopers gathered and began to fill up the hut.

"Is this everyone?" asked Luke.

"Everyone in Kachirho at the moment" replied Sitra "There are many more across the planet helping the other parts of the Wookiee resistance out. If we all gather in the same city at once, we could attract too much attention. But if a full-scale attack is unavoidable, we will have to come together" As everyone settled in, Tarfful let out a powerful roar to tell everyone to silence. He then growled. "This meeting is about to start. Now that the rebel and Wookiee forces are together, it's time to decide our next move"

 _Meanwhile_

Within a concentration camp within the Imperial complex, many Wookiees of different ages sat and slept hopelessly and miserably. Suddenly, an alarm rang. Mokimtho looked down at them from a walkway above the camp.

"A new shipment has arrived!" said Mokimtho into a megaphone disk "Bring the Wookiees out to the loading area to bring it in!" Stormtroopers and Imperial riot troopers pulled the Wookiees out and brought them out to the ship loading area where many crates and other supplies were waiting outside two landed _Sentinel_ -class landing craft.

"Move it!" snapped an Imperial riot trooper as he wacked an elderly Wookiee over the head with his electrostaff. The Wookiees began moving the crates and supplies weakly with Mokimtho looking on with a villainous smile.

"Faster!" said another Imperial riot trooper who jabbed a young Wookiee in the side with their electrostaff. Suddenly, a female Wookiee collapsed from exhaustion and her supplies spilled on the ground around her.

"Well, it seems we have a weakling" said Mokimtho "And that's some I cannot tolerate. Commander, make an example of this creature"

"Yes, general" replied the Imperial field commander who stood by his side. As he walked over to the female Wookiee, he pulled out a shock whip, ignited it, and began whipping her. The other Wookiees could do nothing but look on in horror as she screamed and roared out in pain. But just as the field commander was about to whip her again, the elderly Wookiee stepped in his way and huffed.

"Well, it looks like we have a volunteer for the whipping" said Mokimtho "Continue on both of them, commander" The field commander nodded and raised his arm to whip again.

"Wait" said a voice. Cronos stepped up.

"What are you doing here, Cronos?" asked Mokimtho.

"I've been watching what's been happening and have come to rectify a problem" said Cronos. He pulled out his blaster and pointed it at the elderly Wookiee. "It would seem we have a rebel in our midst. So; you desire to protect this straggler, even at the cost of your own strength?" The elderly Wookiee stood there and didn't move. "Then you'll have to pay the consequences" He shot the elderly Wookiee. "Clean that up" A group of stormtroopers came along and pulled the Wookiee's remains away. "For those of you who understand Basic, let the rest of your kind know that this is a warning to you all. When you fail at a task, you will merely be punished but at least live on; but you ever stand up to us, you will pay the ultimate price for it. Now, continue" The Wookiees continued to pull the cargo along. Cronos grinned.

"Cronos, a word" said Mokimtho. He brought Cronos off to the side. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Helping, of course" replied Cronos "Helping you get back on track"

"Did I ask for your help?" asked Mokimtho.

"No" replied Cronos.

"Then why are you interfering?" asked Mokimtho.

"Interfering?" replied Cronos "If anything, I'm helping move things along"

"What are you talking about?" asked Mokimtho "I had this under control"

"You had a Wookiee standing up to you" said Cronos.

"A Wookiee who was about to be punished" said Mokimtho.

"Like every other Wookiee" said Cronos.

"They're just animals" said Mokimtho.

"Animals, perhaps" said Cronos "But intelligent animals; they have superior strength, vicious behavior, and if it wasn't for their code of honor they would probably use their claws. If you let one of them stand up to you and give them only simple punishment like all the rest, what is to say more of them won't do the same? I was merely setting an example"

"Enough of this" said Mokimtho "You are not to go near the Wookiee pen unless I say so. Now, how are those new fighters going?"

"They fully fueled and armed" replied Cronos "Though I hardly see any use of them since you seem to be taking a more passive route"

"I outrank you, Cronos; so I have the final say around here" said Mokimtho "Now if you push to far, I might just have to report your insubordination to the Emperor. But don't worry; if you're lucky, he'll probably just send you to do tedious patrolling work on Lotho Minor. You know, the "Junk World""

"I know what Lotho Minor is" said Cronos.

"Good" said Mokimtho "If you continue to be this smart, you might just get a promotion" He walked off.

"As you command, my superior" said Cronos.

 _Meanwhile_

Luke walked over to Han who was leaning on the outside of the hut.

"Are you coming back in?" asked Luke.

"No, I don't think so" replied Han "These military meetings bore me; at this stage, it's probably just better to get the gist of it from you afterwards. Anything interesting"

"Nothing much yet" replied Luke "They're still trying to figure out what to do next; but it's much slower because Master Sitra has to translate for the rebel personnel and Tarfful has to translate for the Wookiees, and they both have to do it while discussing their strategy" Han smirked.

"Sounds like torture" said Han.

"So how's Chewie going?" asked Luke "Seeing your homeworld under Imperial threat must not be good"

"I expected that, but he seems even more distressed than the last time we were here" said Han "Must have been all those reports on Wookiees having great victories and losses. Chewie's always been adventurous, but he's always held Kashyyyk at heart. He had family, friends; the thought of the Empire doing something to any of them must be unbearable"

"I know it must be" said Luke.

"And now this meeting is delaying his chance to find out if they're alright" said Han "That must be only increasing his pain" Tarfful growled.

"I understand; we all want the Imperials out of control as soon as possible, but we have to take it patiently" said Sitra. Tarfful growled again. "Yes, I know that our forces should increase when we all come together; but we need to be more cautious. Who's to say that the Imperial's are not already devising a trap to lure us in? They don't need to destroy all of us, just enough of us to send the resistance crashing down; if we play their game, we'll lose for sure" Tarfful growled again, this time sounding more mournful and desperate. "You would really give it all on one last battle, wouldn't you; anything to send a message to the Empire. A message won't mean anything if they defeat us" At that moment, a can-cell flew into the hut and landed on the table in the middle" The Aleena who rode it huffed and puffed before falling off it and slowly getting himself up. "A scout"

"Ilush Toller" said Katooni.

"What happened, where is the rest of your patrol?" asked Sitra.

"General…Generals…we were on patrol…" said Toller "…We…we were coming back from patrol…we were flying over the shadowlands when…when…"

"The shadowlands?" said Sitra.

"They…they shot at us!" said Toller "They…they shot at us!"

"Who shot at you?" asked Sitra.

"Them…s-stormtroopers!" replied Toller "I was the only one to make it out"

"They must be some sort of commando team" said Katooni.

"How far were they from the city?" asked Sitra. Toller breathed heavily from exhaustion. "Please, Ilush; speak"

"They…not far" replied Ilush "They…set up camp on the verge of the shadowlands…a few hours walking distance from city…" He fell unconscious and Sitra gently stroked his crest.

"If this commando team gets into the city, they could set bombs or do other horrible things" said Sitra.

"So what are we supposed to do?" asked Katooni.

"We need to stop them before they reach us" said Sitra "Skywalker…" Luke turned towards them. "We have a mission for you"

 _Later_

Luke, Ahsoka, Han, and Chewbacca outside the dark forest of the shadowlands with a small group of rebel pathfinders gathered around them. Sitra and Tarfful walked up to them.

"Are you all set?" asked Sitra.

"We've prepped ourselves for the last hour" said Luke "We're ready"

"Good" said Sitra "Now remember to stay on guard; these Imperial commandos are not your standard stormtroopers, they're much harder to spot and much harder to kill. You'll have to use stealth on them"

"You can count on us" said Luke.

"Do we have any confirmation on exact location?" asked Ahsoka.

"I'm afraid not" replied Sitra "Toller was our only witnessed and the shock was too much for him to handle. He's currently recuperating and we'll try to ask him again once we get the chance; but until then, you'll have to rely upon what information we've got so far: a few hours walking distant"

"Well; with that logic, at least it means we'll probably meet them on the way" said Han.

"Let's head off now" said Luke "We'll contact you if we find anything" They started moving off into shadowlands.

"Now we adjourn back to the meeting" said Sitra. She and Tarfful turned back to Kachirho.

 _Meanwhile_

Luke, Ahsoka, Han, Chewbacca, and the pathfinders walked through the dark paths of the shadowlands, even darker now that the sun had gone down. At that moment, there was a loud high-pitched yelp. One of the pathfinders raised his blaster to find a tach staring at him from the branches of a tree.

"Relax, kid" said Han "Just a Tach"

"Are…Are they dangerous?" asked the pathfinder.

"Looks **can** be deceiving, but no" replied Han "In fact; it's actually quite harmless, especially compared to other creatures you find down here. It's the katarns you've got to watch out for; those things can tear you to shreds"

"Is this place really as dangerous as they say?" asked the pathfinder.

"Well; the Wookiees keep their distance, only their bravest warriors venture here" replied Han "That's bound to mean something. But just relax; keep your wits about, and you won't get eaten"

"We've been out here for about an hour now" said Ahsoka "Are we even going in the right direction? I mean, all we know is that it's a few hours away from the city; but it could be anywhere"

"Chewie's an expert tracker; especially on Kashyyyk" replied Luke "He'll find them" At that moment, Chewbacca stopped abruptly at some footprints on the ground, kneeled down to examine them, and growled. Everyone stopped.

"What is it, Chewie?" asked Han as he walked over to Chewbacca's side to see the reptilian footprints that the Wookiee was examining. "Oh boy, this ain't good"

"What's the matter?" asked a pathfinder.

"Katarn footprints, they must be near" replied Han.

"Katarns?" said Ahsoka "As in rat-tailed, vicious, lizard katarns?" As they stood around the footprints, a katarn silently crawled down from a tree and groaned quietly.

"Yep; and when there's one, there's bound to be more" said Han "We should get going; as soon as one downwind of us catches our scent, they'll hound us" Suddenly, the katarn hanging from the tree leapt down at them with a loud shriek and landed on top of a pathfinder (who yelled out a Wilhelm scream), mauling him. "Damn it, too late!" He pulled out his blaster and shot the katarn. Slightly wounded, the katarn growled and lunged towards him, only for everyone to shoot it down.

"That's not the last of them, is it?" said Luke.

"No, far from it" said Han "Let's get out of here before—" There was a loud growl and countless katarns crawled down from the trees and rushed down from the hills, attacking them. "Chewie, get that bowcaster of yours out!" Chewbacca roared as he pulled out his bowcaster and started shooting down katarns. As Han, Chewbacca, and the pathfinders struggled with shooting down enough katarns, Luke and Ahsoka seemed to have slightly less trouble with the use of their lightsabers. "You know, Chewie; it's times like this I almost regret being dismissive of that old man…almost" Chewbacca groaned. As the katarns swarmed them more and more, Luke and Ahsoka began to split apart without noticing it. As Ahsoka found herself cornered against a cave by three large katarns, she accidently slipped her heel against a pointed rock and fell into the cave, rolling down the large slop and disappearing in the darkness below. A group of vines that surrounded the cave were ripped off, pulling down a group of boulders that covered the cave from view. As all of this happened, Luke struck down the last katarn.

"Finally!" said Han "How many did we lose?"

"Eight of us, it seems" replied a pathfinder.

"We'll worry about that later, let's move on" said Han. As they turned to leave, Luke noticed something.

"Where's Ahsoka?" asked Luke. Everyone stopped and looked around.

"She's not among the bodies" said Han.

"Ahsoka, do you read me?" asked Luke into his comlink. There was no reply, only static. "Ahsoka? She's not responding"

"Maybe her comlink got busted or something" said a pathfinder.

"Ahsoka?" called Luke "Ahsoka!?"

"Quiet!" said Han "Do you want those Imperials to know we're here?"

"We have to find her" said Luke "We can't leave her out here"

"Look, I'm not exactly in favor of leaving anyone behind; but searching for someone out here could take ages" said Han "And within that time, those Imperials could reach the city"

"What if we split up?" asked Luke.

"Then we'd have only a portion of the firepower we have left" said Han "That katarn attack left us quite understaffed. If we're going to take Imperial commandos on, we have everyone involved, especially you" Luke looked back at the forest surrounding them. "Don't worry; Ahsoka can take care of herself" They moved off into the forest.

 _Meanwhile_

Ahsoka awoke in a dark cavern. She reached around for her lightsaber before finding it and igniting it, using it to light the cave and look around.

"Where've I thrown myself off to now?" said Ahsoka to herself. She got herself up. "Luke? Han? Chewie?" As she stepped forward, she felt her foot crunch through something. She looked down to see the putrefied skeletal remains of an unrecognizable animal. "Eww!" She pulled her foot out, only to step into strange white silk. She tried to pull her foot out but it was too sticky. As she desperately tried to pull herself out, something crept out of the crack in the roof and scuttled over her. The moment she heard the sound, she looked up at the roof and pointed her lightsaber at it. Whatever was on the roof had scuttled away and disappeared in the darkness. "This is weird" Suddenly, a white piece of silk shot out at her and caught her lightsaber hand, pinning her to the ground. "What the heck?" She tried to pull her hand out but found that it felt numb and immobilized by the silk. "What the heck!?" At that moment, a large webweaver came down on a line of silk and clicked its mandibles at her. "This day just isn't getting any good!" As the webweaver reared up to pounce on her, there was a loud explosion at the entrance of the cave, sending the remains of the boulders hurtling down. The webweaver turned in the direction of the explosion and hissed before being blasted at and killed before it could even react. "Phew!" At that moment, a Trandoshan stepped into the cavern, turned towards Ahsoka, and pulled out a large cannon. "This is just not good" The Trandoshan grinned and chuckled before releasing a stun net on her.

 _Meanwhile_

Luke, Han, Chewbacca, and the remaining pathfinders were walking along when Han signaled for them to stop.

"What is it?" asked Luke.

"Up ahead" replied Han whilst pointing to a hill in front of them. Bright light was shining over it. "I think we may have found our Imperials"

"How are you so sure?" asked Luke.

"Know anyone else setting up camp in the shadowlands at the moment?" replied Han "Not exactly a place you'd like to stay for your time off. Chewie, you, me, and Luke will investigate this camp. The rest of you, fan out and investigate the area" As the pathfinders nodded and spread out, he, Luke, and Chewbacca snuck up over the hill and observed at the encampment. The whole camp itself was surrounded by markers to keep the animals away and at the center was a crackling fire. A few small crates lay around the camp (presumably with supplies in them) and various storm commandos stood and sat around, with some on guard. They resembled scout troopers in design except they were colored all black instead of white. "Yep; this is a camp, alright. Those markers are just like the ones around the landing sight" At that moment, a storm commando leader entered the camp with two other storm commandos following behind.

"No signs of rebel activity as far as we know" said the storm commando leader "We'll investigate the Imperial lab shortly"

"Imperial lab?" said Luke quietly "What does that—"

"Shhh!" said Han quietly "General Sitra, we've found the camp. And I think there might be something else" There was no reply, only static. "Gen…damn it, they must have some kind of jammer or something"

"What do we do until then?" asked a storm commando.

"Prep the investigative equipment" replied the commando leader "We're on a time schedule so we'll designate one group to go in and the other to go off to Kachirho"

"Captain Solo" said a voice quietly. Han, Luke, and Chewbacca turned their heads over to a pathfinder who stood at the bottom of the hill. "There's something you have to see; come quick"

"Come on, guys; let's check it out" said Han quietly. He, Luke, and Chewbacca slid down the hill and followed the pathfinder into the bush. "What is it?"

"We found something in the forest nearby" replied the pathfinder "We tried to contact you via comm but they weren't working"

"Neither was mine" said Han "So what is it exactly?" At that moment they reached a clearing, and what lay at the center of it was a real shocker. "Oh…" Lying at the middle of the clearing was a rundown and abandoned Imperial lab that appeared to be sticking out of the ground.

"I think we now know what they were talking about with the Imperial lab" said Luke.

 _Meanwhile_

Kuonzin woke up on a medical bed aboard a star destroyer.

"Finally, the beast awakens" said a voice. Kuonzin turned his head to see Hatana leaning against the doorway.

"What happened!?" snapped Kuonzin.

"In short, we lost" replied Hatana "The rebels were able to push us back and we found you outside the city's walls unconscious"

"The bombing run?!" snapped Kuonzin as he stood himself up "What about the bombing run I ordered?!"

"Never happened" replied Hatana "You never gave the signal to Admiral Ozzel; and by the time we found you, it was already too late to send them down"

"Ozzel!" snarled Kuonzin "That son of a kinrath will die for this!"

"I wouldn't exactly blame him" said Hatana "After all, he was only following specific orders you laid out. So much for being a grand general" As she turned, Kuonzin grabbed her by the wrist and tightened his grasp threateningly.

"At least I have an official rank" said Kuonzin "What are you? An assassin? A commander by default? Not very impressive; like it or not, you will always be beneath everyone else" Hatana's eyes turned red and she grabbed his wrist.

"Let go!" snapped Hatana. Kuonzin didn't comply. "I said LET GO!" She shot him back with her force lightning. "Don't push me!" She took a deep breath in and her eyes slowly faded back to normal. As she walked off, Kuonzin got himself up and grinned.

 _Meanwhile_

Ahsoka woke up to find herself stuck in a cage. She sat up and looked around. Many more cages surrounded her, all of which contained Wookiees of various ages. She then turned to see a group of Trandoshans sitting around a crackling fire, chuckling and sharpening their melee weapons and varnishing their rifles.

"Not this again!" said Ahsoka to herself.

"Ahh, she awakes!" said a voice. Cilurrsk (the Trandoshan that had stunned her) walked up to Ahsoka's cage and grinned. Ahsoka searched her belt for her lightsaber but couldn't find it. "Looking for this?" He pulled out her lightsaber threw it up and down. "I'm guessing you're some kind of Jedi or something; you sure as heck weren't doing well around that wyyyschokk, though"

"Wyyyschokk?" said Ahsoka.

"That spider thing was a wyyyschokk, better known as webweavers" said Cilurrsk "Those things are the worst predators on Kashyyyk; good thing there was only one, they've been known to hunt in packs. They're surprisingly intelligent; you know, for a bug"

"What are you doing with these Wookiees?" asked Ahsoka.

"The Empire hired us to capture Wookiees for them" replied Cilurrsk "They even hired Bossk to be in charge of this operation"

"Bossk?" said Ahsoka "You mean that bounty hunter?"

"Of course" replied Cilurrsk "Thanks to him, our capture of Wookiee stragglers has increased"

"What are you going to do with these Wookiees?" asked Ahsoka.

"Most of them will be sent off to the Imps to make up their slave labor" replied Cilurrsk "But the numbers do vary between how many we capture and how many we take out of the Shadowlands"

"What do you mean by that?" asked Ahsoka.

"Well; we often spend weeks in the Shadowlands, and the food here isn't exactly the best" replied Cilurrsk "Tachs have barely any meat on them. Katarns are hard to bring down and they're not to our taste. But ever since Bossk arrived, he introduced us to a new means of food; Wookiee meat. Stripping away the fur, it's actually quite tender and juicy"

"That's disgusting!" said Ahsoka "How could you possibly do that?"

"There's a reason why Bossk's name means "Devours His Prey" in our language" said Cilurrsk "He's developed quite an acquired taste to "unconventional" meals. One time, I heard that he ate his own father"

"Doesn't the Empire take offense to eating their slaves?" asked Ahsoka.

"They only keep track of the ones we hand in, not the ones we capture" replied Cilurrsk "As far as they're concerned, the ones we bring in are all the ones we've captured. Right now Bossk is off on reconnaissance; and when he comes back, he'll decide your fate. I've always thought that Togrutas look exotic…" He licked his lips in a wicked manor. "I wonder if they taste exotic too" As moved off, Ahsoka sat back and sighed. At that moment, she heard a low groan. Only now realizing that her cage was bigger than she at first realized, she turned around to see a large, stooped, grey old Wookiee sitting in the corner of her cage.

"I'm guessing they were out of cages" said Ahsoka. The old Wookiee leaned forward and growled whilst pointing at her. "M-My name? It's Ahsoka Tano. What's yours?" The Wookiee growled. "Your name is…Attichitcuk?" The Wookiee growled again. "You were once a warrior and a chieftain. What are you doing here?" The Wookiee growled again. "Well, I guess we're both prisoners now"

 _Meanwhile_

As Han looked around the lab with a flashlight, he saw claw and scratch marks on the walls.

"Please don't be the one" said Han. He heard Chewbacca growling on the lower levels and rushed down to find him kneeling beside a smashed glass container of some sort. Chewbacca growled again. "Controversial experiments; as usual, the Empire plays with nature. I guess being on Kashyyyk just makes them closer to it"

"Han, you'll want to see this" said Luke's voice. Han and Chewbacca rushed over to Luke who was standing beside a stasis pod that was fixed to the wall.

"Stasis pod?" said Han.

"Yeah, and it appears to be still working" said Luke "I think there's something inside"

"I knew Imps threw lots of credits for their controversial experiments, but this is saying something" said Han. Chewbacca growled and pointed to the side of the pod.

"Hey, there's something sighed there" said Luke. On the side of the pod was the word "SUBJECT: M-13". Wait, isn't that grid coordinates for Devaron?"

"Nyugo…" said Han under his breath.

"Excuse me?" said Luke.

"I knew what we were getting into the moment I heard them talk about an Imperial lab" said Han "Back when I was at the Imperial academy, I heard about an Imperial lab they had stationed in the depths of Kashyyyk. There they were experimenting to create new weapons of warfare. Not machines, organic weapons that were much more complex…and much more controversial. Eventually they devised a serum to create a super-soldier; a being with enhanced strength, enhanced reflexes, enhanced stamina, enhanced everything. But even with all the resources at their disposal, they got cold feet about testing it on stormtroopers; that should tell you how unsure they were about it. So instead, they decided to use it on something they deemed subhuman. They captured a Devaronian soldier and forcibly gave him the treatment. As soon as that serum hit his bloodstream, it changed him big time in ways no one could ever anticipate. It gave him all those enhanced perks but it also corroded his sanity, making him violent and impulsive. For the next few days, they kept him contained and studied him in hope of finding out what went wrong so they could perhaps make a better serum. But, as usual, that was a bad idea; he broke out and killed everybody in the lab before stowing aboard a transport and going on a murderous rampage across systems, killing countless civilians. Eventually however, the Empire caught up to him and brought him down; but, you know, it took quite some time because they only learnt about what happened because of the personal logs in the lab"

"So what happened after that?" asked Luke.

"According to record, he was euthanized" replied Han "Should have known that was all rubbish. Nope; with the lab destroyed and all the time and money that went into his creation, he was invaluable item. They must have kept him here in this stasis pod in case they ever found use for him again. Typical"

"With all the things this lab could contain, no wonder the Imperials are hanging around this area" said Luke.

"We have to get the other troopers together so we can blow this place sky high" said Han "Whatever's left in this lab must never get out, and certainly not into the hands of the Imps"

"After we deal with the commandos first" said Luke.

"After we deal with the commandos first, yes" said Han "C'mon, let's get everyone back together—" Suddenly, a laser bolt shot past them and hit the wall. "Oh, boy!" He pulled out his blaster. "Luke, Chewie; defend the pod. If them commandos know anything confidential about this lab, this might just be their first target. I'll go find the others and try to drive the Imps out"

"Can't you just…oh, wait, yeah" said Luke "No comlink"

"Whatever you do, guard that pod" said Han as he rushed off down the hallway beside them. Chewbacca pulled out his bowcaster and roared as he shot back against the storm commandos who were shooting at them from the hallway in front of them.

"Let's see how well those trained commandos do against a lightsaber!" said Luke as he ignited his lightsaber. He leapt out and rushed towards the storm commandos, deflecting their blasts as he went.

"Wait, that's a Jedi!" exclaimed one of the storm commandos "Fall back!" Before they could even step back down the hallway, Luke struck forward with his lightsaber and slashed them down.

"Now that's not being prepared, is it?" smirked Luke. It was just then that he noticed that the one closest to the door had accidently dropped a thermal detonator that was set to explode. "Oh heck! Chewie, look out!" As soon as Chewbacca noticed the thermal detonator, he rushed out of the doorway, grabbed Luke, and rolled out of the way of the explosion that caved in the room around the stasis pod.

 _Meanwhile_

Han rushed down the hallway.

"Guys, we have to—" said Han shortly before he arrived in the room at the end of the hallway "Oh snap!" On the floor of the room lay the dead bodies of several pathfinders and at the center stood the remaining pathfinders surrounding by storm commandos.

"Well, look who we have here" said the storm commando leader. Han looked around at the hallway behind him. "Hands up" Han didn't comply. "I said hands up!" Han reluctantly put his hands behind his head. "That's more like it"

 _Meanwhile_

Cronos entered a room where Mokimtho sat at a strategy table.

"You summoned me, general" said Cronos.

"What's this about a commando group that left for the shadowlands without my authorization?" asked Mokimtho.

"Allow me to explain" replied Cronos "Have you ever heard of Subject: M-13?"

"M-13, the grid coordinates for the Devaron system?" said Mokimtho "Wait, you're not talking about that…thing they made in that lab? They euthanized it afterwards, remember?"

"Are you sure?" said Cronos "I mean, his body was never on record"

"What are you even talking about?" asked Mokimtho.

"The Empire put considerable time and money into him, wouldn't it make sense for him to be put aside somewhere where a record can't be put on him? I only wish to find out for certain, that's why I sent the commandos in to investigate"

"You…You're out of line this time!" snapped Mokimtho whilst standing up furiously "Why didn't you authorize this with me?"

"Given your more passive approach, I doubt you would go along with it" replied Cronos. Mokimtho face-palmed himself.

"This is why Non-Humans like you have no place in the Empire" said Mokimtho "I still don't understand; with all these Non-Human regulation, why are still some who get through"

"I assume it's an exception rather than the rule" said Cronos "Besides, it's quite rich coming from you"

"What do you mean?" asked Mokimtho.

"I was curious as to how you became a grand general so I did some digging through files and reports in hope of shedding some light" replied Cronos "What I found was most curious: you seemed to have known the right people and were able to pull enough strings to put yourself into this position. It's not who you are, it's who you know; not the standard way I must say"

"Nevertheless, the Emperor himself will hear of this—" said Mokimtho.

"He won't" said Cronos.

"And what makes you say that" asked Mokimtho.

"I never wanted it to come to this, but you left me with no choice" said Cronos "I have friends within the Empire's ranks who are very influential and very secretive. If I want anything, they can give it to me in time. One thing they can do is release certain files containing information about bribery, murder, accuses, and other heinous crimes that could take everything you've worked hard to achieve and make it all undone"

"Are you blackmailing me?" asked Mokimtho.

"It's just business" replied Cronos "The business you do, in fact; it just so happens that I'm better at it"

"What do you want?" asked Mokimtho.

"I want authorization over you for the rest of my time here or any occasion we may work together" replied Cronos. Mokimtho took a deep breath in.

"Very well" said Mokimtho. Cronos smirked.

"Good" said Cronos "Let us prepare for the battle"

"Battle?" said Mokimtho.

"We're going to wipe the Wookiees out and burn their treehouses to the ground while they're still only gathering together" said Cronos "See to the vehicles, make sure they are prepped and fully loaded"

"Understood" said Mokimtho reluctantly. He got himself up and walked off. Cronos pulled out a hologram projector and brought up a hologram of Commander Cody. "Commander, ready your men. We'll assault on Kachirho immediately"

"It will be done, general" said Cody.

 _Meanwhile_

Beneath all the rubble and debris, the stasis pod lay fixed to the wall. Two blaster shots had hit it and the damage caused the controls to flicker. Finally the controls died, causing the stasis to stop. The pod lay silent for a few minutes before a loud bump came from inside it. The bump got louder and louder and more aggressive until finally the opening became loose. A white clawed hand slowly squeezed out and slowly pushed the opening open.

 _Meanwhile_

Luke and Chewbacca watched from behind a tree as the storm commandos brought them out of the lab.

"I have a bad feeling about this" said Luke. Chewbacca growled. "We couldn't take them on because we were in a confined space and Han and the others are hostages; if we just rushed in, we'd probably get caught as well or worse someone could get killed" Chewbacca growled. "That's why we're out here, to have a more open space to work with. Now, we just need to figure out a strategy" At that moment, there was a growl. "What was that?" At that moment, a katarn leapt down from the tree and landed on top of Chewbacca, gnawing at his bowcaster. Luke ignited his lightsaber again. "Chewie…don't shoot, just stay still. I've got this" Suddenly, Chewbacca and the katarn rolled off down the nearby hill and disappeared into the mist below. "Oh no!" Luke started to carefully make his way down the hill.

 _Meanwhile_

As Sitra and Tarfful stood at the strategy table planning their next move, a Wookiee sentry came in roaring.

"What is it?" asked Sitra. The Wookiee roared again whilst pointing outside desperately. "Imperials here? That's quite abrupt even for them" Tarfful growled. "Correct; we should have a look" The three of them ran outside to the platform overlooking the beach where they saw a truly shocking sight. Out across the water came 2-M hover tanks zooming at full speed with Imperial Dropship Transports zooming overhead; but it wasn't long until the mist and steam cleared to reveal a much more sinister image, a giant AT-AT slowly stomped over towards them. Tarfful growled again. "Assemble the available forces to defend the city. We have to hold out long enough for the others to complete their tasks"

 ***** : Petro's last name I made up since he didn't have one in _The Clone Wars_.

 **Author's note** : Don't worry, Chewie's family exists in my headcanon but the Holiday Special does not ;)


	3. Fire Across the Galaxy part 3

**Author's note** : Hey everyone. Sorry about being super late with the update, but I've been going through some personal issues lately and it's made my life and writing quite hard to balance out. Some of the more volatile members of the Star Wars fanbase have been getting me down and my holidays ended recently so I've been under a lot of pressure for the first few weeks. This chapter took way longer to finish than I expected but I hope people enjoy it.

 **Fire Across the Galaxy part 3: The Burning**

 _War on Kashyyyk! With the use of research and blackmailing, General Tame Cronos has seized command of the Imperial forces on Kashyyyk and launches a deadly assault upon the Wookiee city of Kachirho! Manning the defenses, Jedi General Rachi Sitra and Wookiee Chieftain Tarfful ready the Alliance and the native Wookiees to defend the city at all costs!_

 _Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Han Solo, and Chewbacca the Wookiee were sent on a mission into the depths of the Kashyyyk Shadowlands to stop an Imperial commando party that is on its way to Kachirho. But upon discovering them, they soon find out a horrifying truth; the commandos were looking for a long lost Imperial laboratory containing a living experiment gone wrong! But now things have spiraled out of control; with Ahsoka kidnapped by Trandoshan slavers and Han and the remaining rebel forces taken captive by the commandos, Luke and Chewbacca are now the only members of the group left free and it is up to them to save the others before it is too late…_

 _Kashyyyk_

As the Imperial forces neared closer and closer to the beach head, the rebel troopers and Wookiees mounted the defenses and readied themselves.

"The Imperials will be here any second" said Sitra "Until then, we'd better make sure the defenses are top notch. We cannot lose this city" Tarfful growled in response. "Which is why it's important that the others do their work as well; let's go"

 _Meanwhile_

Cronos stood aboard the AT-AT, dressed in Imperial officer armor, and looked out towards Kachirho the walker's targeting computer.

"How much longer will it take to reach the city?" asked Cronos.

"Due to the vehicle's size and build, it may take slightly under a standard hour" replied one of the walker pilots "This thing was built for firepower and size, not speed"

"I see" said Cronos "And what of the other vehicles?"

"They'll definitely get there before us" replied the pilot.

"But whether they last long enough depends entirely upon the defense" said Cronos.

"I don't see why you're making such a big deal over a bunch of walking carpets" said the pilot.

"Don't underestimate the Wookiees" said Cronos "They may be beasts, but they are intelligent beasts who have thrived on this planet longer than any of us and have fought back outsiders in the past. To simply underestimate the enemy is to give them an advantage; and if you wish to win a battle, give them as little chances as possible. And the more battles you lose, the chances of you winning the war diminishes" At that moment, his hologram projector beeped. He pulled it out and a hologram of the storm commando leader came up. "What is it? Have you found the lab yet?"

"We have" replied the storm commando leader "And we have investigated"

"Have you found the pod?" asked Cronos.

"I'm afraid not" replied the storm commando leader "We've searched high and low and found no trace of a stasis pod. And anything else of use has either not held up well or is beyond revival"

"This can't be possible" said Cronos "Are you certain that you've searched everywhere?"

"There are some places that have caved in and I'm having my men investigate them, but I doubt a stasis pod would have survived all of that" replied the storm commando leader "But there's something else; while investigating the lab, we found a group of rebels snooping around"

"Is that so?" said Cronos.

"And among them is that smuggler Han Solo who's been helping the Alliance lately" said the storm commando leader.

"Really?" said Cronos "After you are done in the Shadowlands, I want them all brought to me. Is that understood?"

 _Meanwhile_

"Yes general" said the storm commando leader before turning his hologram projector off. He turned towards Han and the rest of the pathfinders. "Good news, you're not going to die just yet" Behind his back, Han clutched to a smoke grenade which he held within his sleeves carefully and securely.

 _Meanwhile_

Luke rushed down the hill after Chewbacca to find what appeared to be a Wookiee's body lying on top of a dead katarn.

"Chewie!" said Luke quietly. He rushed down towards Chewbacca who got himself up and huffed. He appeared to have stabbed the katarn in the neck with a sharp rock and killed it. Chewbacca growled. "Good to know you're okay. Now come on, we've still got to help Han and the others" At that moment, Chewbacca sniffed the air and groaned. "What is it?" Chewbacca got himself up and rushed off further down the hill. "Wait! Chewie, wait!" He carefully followed Chewbacca until he found him crouching behind a large rock with several bushes around it. He walked over to him and crouched beside him. "Chewie, what is it?" Chewbacca groaned and pointed forwards towards the Trandoshan camp that lay before them. "Oh…Those are Trandoshans" Cilurrsk and the other Trandoshans were gathered around the fire, communicating through harsh grunts, hisses, and growls. "What are these guys doing here?" Chewbacca growled quietly in response. "Slavers, huh? I guess that would explain the cages" He looked over the area when his eyes were drawn to what appeared to be an orange figure in one of the cages. "Wait; they've got Ahsoka!" Chewbacca growled in response. "There's too many of them to face all at once, so we'll have to use stealth. Stay here and keep watch, I'll go check out Ahsoka" He crawled off to the side. At that moment, Bossk arrived on a modified speeder bike of unknown make and dismounted.

"How has the hunting been, Cilurrsk?" asked Bossk in Dosh.

"Very successful" replied Cilurrsk in Dosh as he and Bossk looked over the caged Wookiees "We've captured several Wookiees within the last hour and a half. And here's something interesting…" He brought Bossk over to Ahsoka and Attichitcuk's cage.

"A Togruta?" said Bossk.

"And that's not all" said Cilurrsk. He pulled out Ahsoka's lightsaber and showed it to Bossk.

"A Jedi?" said Bossk.

"So what should we do with her?" asked Cilurrsk. Bossk looked over at Ahsoka before his attention was drawn to a rustle in the bushes nearby. "Um, Bossk?"

"The Empire may have stopped actively hunting Jedi ages ago, but still pay a good amount of money for them" replied Bossk "We'll keep her alive for now" He turned back towards his speeder bike and walked over to it. "Where are you going (now in Dosh)?"

"Back to Camp B to see the other party and their slaves again" replied Bossk in Dosh.

"But we haven't decided which ones we'll keep and which ones will eat next" said Cilurrsk in Dosh.

"Choose yourselves" said Bossk in Dosh as he mounted his speeder bike and sped off. At that moment, Ahsoka heard a quiet voice behind her.

"Ahsoka…" said the voice. Ahsoka turned around to see Luke crouched behind her cage.

"Luke!" said Ahsoka quietly.

"Don't worry, I'll get you out of here" said Luke quietly as he reached for his lightsaber.

"No!" said Ahsoka quietly "If you get me out of here, they'll know something's up and they could do something horrible to the Wookiees"

"Then what should I do?" asked Luke quietly.

"Try to take those Trandoshans out first, but try not to get captured" replied Ahsoka quietly.

"I'm not sure if I have time to do that at the moment" said Luke quietly "Han and the others are—" At that moment, he felt a rifle prod his head. He looked up to see Cilurrsk standing over him with his rifle pointed down at him.

"Well, well; looks like the spider's caught himself some more flies!" smirked Cilurrsk. Luke ignited his lightsaber. "Are you really going to try to hurt me with that?"

"Only if I have to" replied Luke. He pointed his lightsaber up at Cilurrsk. "Let us all go!"

"Are you trying to threaten me?" said Cilurrsk "Because it's not working. In fact…" He pointed his rifle over towards Attichitcuk. "One move against me and the Wookiee's dead meat, if he has any of it left on him that is"

"Don't…Don't you even dare!" said Luke.

"You're still convinced that I'm afraid, aren't you?" said Cilurrsk "You can go ahead if you want; we're probably just going to kill this one anyway. He's old, he might just fall apart the first time he does physical labor; the Empire won't be very grateful if we hand them a faulty Wook—" At that moment, something grabbed him up and threw him over towards the other Trandoshans. Chewbacca growled furiously as the other Trandoshans turned towards him in confusion. "A Wookiee! Shoot him down!" As the Trandoshans pulled out their weapons and began firing at them, Luke leapt up and started deflecting the blasts with his lightsaber. As he did this, he cut the door of Ahsoka's cage clean off and freed her.

"Chewie, try to get the other Wookiees out" said Luke "Ahsoka and I will take care of the lizards" Chewbacca nodded and growled before heading off to the other cages.

"If this is going to be the case, then there's something I have to take care of first" said Ahsoka. She swooped in towards the Trandoshans, summoned her lightsaber from Cilurrsk's belt, and ignited it.

"Huh?" said Cilurrsk.

"Word of advice, don't ever take this from me again!" said Ahsoka. As the Trandoshans fired at her, she swung forward and started slashing through them with Luke joining in until they had finished off what appeared to be the last of the Trandoshans.

"That was close" said Luke.

"Too close" said a voice. Suddenly, a net shot towards them.

"Watch out!" exclaimed Luke as he force-pushed Ahsoka out of the way and got caught up in the net. As Ahsoka rushed to his side and rolled him onto his back, Cilurrsk appeared from the shadows with his net cannon and smirked.

"You despicable—" said Ahsoka.

"Save me the tedious monologue" said Cilurrsk "You're next!" Suddenly, he was blasted in the back and killed by Chewbacca who shot him with his bowcaster.

"Thanks Chewie" said Ahsoka. Chewbacca growled.

 _Meanwhile_

"Careful, careful!" said a storm commando as another storm commando pulled out a piece of rubble from debris in the middle of the hallway with his wrist cable "That last one was just too close"

"Are you kidding me?" said the second storm commando "Can't we just place explosives here and blow it all away?"

"I can see you're still new at this" replied the first storm commando "First of all; this place has been here for a long time unmanaged and we don't know how stable it is, it could collapse the whole ceiling on top of us. Secondly; if the pod is under this debris, it could damage it. Now let's get back to work"

"We're commandos, this is a job for labor droids" said the second storm commando. As they carried on with removing the debris, a third storm commando wielding an Imperial repeater rifle stood guard when he heard the sound of something shattering in the distance.

"Huh?" said the storm commando. He rushed off in the direction it came from to find the smashed remains of an empty chemical vial on the floor. It was then that he heard loud thudding footsteps coming from behind him. "What the?" A giant, monstrous, horned silhouette snuck up to him from behind. He abruptly turned around; but before he could even pull the trigger of his rifle, the silhouette grabbed him by the throat so fast and so tight that he could barely make a noise before his neck was crushed and his body was dropped on the floor.

"What the heck was that noise?" said the second storm commando.

"Let's go investigate quickly" said the first storm commando as he grabbed his blaster and ran off, finding the body of the dead commando. As he kneeled down to check his pulse, the second storm commando walked up to him.

"How is he?" asked the second storm commando.

"He's dead" replied the first storm commando "My god, it looks like something crushed his neck!"

"Wasn't he carrying an Imperial repeater rifle before?" asked the second storm commando.

"Why do you ask?" asked the first storm commando.

"I can't see it by his body" replied the second storm commando "He can't have just left it somewhere and forgot about it?"

"No" replied the first storm commando "This is starting to worry me; whatever killed him, must have been something smart—" At that moment, a barrage of laser bolts erupted from the shadows next to them, killing them before they could even react.

 _Meanwhile in the Unknown Regions_

A Lambda-class T-4a shuttle came out of hyperspace and flew over to an Imperial star destroyer (which curiously enough was pale blue instead of the usual grey). It landed within the hanger where a group of stormtroopers awaited it, as well as an Imperial captain. The shuttle landed and a young Imperial lieutenant with light brown hair and blue eyes stepped out.

"Lieutenant Peter Jeraya, I welcome you to the _Admonitor_ " said the captain "I am Captain Dagon Niriz"

"It's a pleasure to be here" said Peter.

"Come with me" said Niriz "There's much to show you" The two of them turned to leave. "Commander Gaplen, come with us"

"Yes, captain" replied a stormtrooper commander with a hoarse and rough voice. He followed them.

"Are you ready for your new position, lieutenant?" asked Niriz.

"Yes, sir" replied Peter "Though I must admit that this transfer was a little abrupt. Only a day ago I was in trenches fighting back against resistance fighters, now I've been sent off here far from the Core Worlds with…with no idea on what's happening"

"No idea?" said Niriz "You mean you were not told the specific details of our work here?" As they talked, they passed by a flag with what appeared to be the Empire's symbol on it (except that it had a large blue fist in the middle of it).

"Only that I was going to be doing work in the Unknown Regions" replied Peter "Although I'm not sure exactly why because the war isn't out this far, or at least it doesn't seem to be. Is this…a problem?"

"Never mind, the admiral will explain it soon enough" replied Niriz.

"Admiral?" said Peter.

"He's the one in charge here" said Niriz "He's the one who requested your transfer to his command and has specified to meet with you upon arrival. Out here he finds it hard to request transfers, so he must see something in you" They reached a door and walked through it.

"Woah!" said Peter whilst trying to keep himself in control. On the other side of the door lay a room filled with artefacts and artwork; some of them were merely holographic replicas, but some of them were real. As they walked through, Peter looked around in a state of both stunned and astonishment at the artwork and artefacts that surrounded him. He looked to his left and saw what appeared to be incomplete remains of moss paintings of Kiliks which could only just be made out due to the damage down to the paintings; they were being kept within a glass container which appeared to be keeping them moist. He looked to his right and saw a lineup of various helmets; from left to right were the helmets of a Mandalorian Crusader, a Mandalorian Neo-Crusader, a modern Mandalorian, a Republic Clone Commando, a Phase I Clone Trooper, a Phase II Clone Trooper, and a Stormtrooper. He then looked to his left again and saw a small area which appeared to be dedicated entirely to Jedi; at the center was a Jedi Temple Guard armor complete with its double-bladed lightsaber pike and around it were containers filled with various tattered Jedi robes and lightsabers. Finally they reached a large white chair at the center of the room where a small orange lizard-like creature with two pairs of eyes and a pair of ears sat at the top of the chair clinging onto what appeared to be a fixed tree branch fast asleep. It was then that he noticed another container to his right side. Within it held the charred remains of a metal mask or helmet that resembled a Kaleesh warrior mask. "What is that?"

"It is the mask of the Kaleesh warlord Qymaen jai Sheelal, known in his later years as the Supreme Commander of the Separatist Droid Army General Grievous" replied a voice from behind the chair "How far he had fallen before Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi slew him at the end of the Clone Wars" Peter gasped. The voice was smooth, calm, and extremely clear, yet at the same time felt commanding and held gravitas; it was cold yet soothing and in control.

"Are…Are you the admiral?" asked Peter.

"Yes, I am" replied the voice "On behalf of the Empire of the Hand…" He spun around in his chair to reveal himself. "…I would like to welcome you, lieutenant" Peter stepped back in slight shock when he saw who sat on the seat in front of him. He wore a spotless white Grand Admiral's uniform and gloves with a pair of golden epaulette on either shoulder. At first glance his appearance was Human and yet at the same time it wasn't. His skin was smooth and flawless and was a deep shade of blue. His hair was clean and was jet black with a bluish tint. But what was most noticeable about him was his piercing, glowing, pupiless red eyes which seemed to just look into you.

"You…You're not Human!" exclaimed Peter.

"You may want to watch who you're talking to!" said Gaplen. He pulled off his helmet and revealed himself to be a Kajain'sa'Nikto. Peter gasped at the sight. "What's your problem?"

"Stay calm, Commander Gaplen" said the Grand Admiral "He has only just come from the regular, I imagine this must be quite confronting from him. My apologies for the secrecy and lack of information given, but it is for the best that little information about our work here reaches the rest of the Empire. Explanations are in order, so feel free to ask questions; as long as they are within reason"

"Who are you?" asked Peter.

"My name is Mitth'raw'nuruodo" replied the Grand Admiral "But in Basic, you may call me Thrawn"

 _Meanwhile_

Luke slowly regained consciousness to see Ahsoka smiling down at him.

"Good to see you back, Skyguy" said Ahsoka.

"Great Anchorhead!" exclaimed Luke as he woke up. He looked around at the camp around him; the only sound that could be heard was a tach screeching in the background. "What happened?"

"A Trandoshan shot a stun net but Chewie killed him" replied Ahsoka "All of them are dead now; except for that bounty hunter Bossk, he went off somewhere before you turned up"

"I think I got a glimpse of that" said Luke "Where's Chewie?"

"He's just over there; he's chatting with Attichitcuk, the Wookiee I was sharing a cage with" replied Ahsoka. She pointed over towards the campfire where Chewbacca growled with Attichitcuk who sat on one of the logs surrounding the fire.

"What's their relation?" asked Luke.

"From what I've been able to make out, it's a family reunion" replied Ahsoka.

"Define family reunion" said Luke.

"That's Attichitcuk, he's Chewbacca's father" said Ahsoka.

"Chewbacca's father?" said Luke "Huh?" At that moment, Chewbacca growled and ran off. "Wait, where's he going?"

"It was too fast, I didn't catch it" replied Ahsoka.

"Then let's ask his father then" said Luke. He was about to pull himself up when Ahsoka stopped him.

"Woah, hold it" said Ahsoka.

"But we have to get Chewie back quick" said Luke.

"I was out of it for a little bit, mind filling me in on what happened?" asked Ahsoka.

"Okay; and don't worry I'll try to keep it simple" replied Luke "After you disappeared while we were fighting the katarns, we went forward and found the commandos camp; but we discovered that they had an ulterior reason to be down here other than simply sabotaging the city. There's an abandoned Imperial lab down here"

"A lab?" said Ahsoka "It figures. Is there anything they're looking for in particular?"

"Han has a hunch" replied Luke "While in the lab, we discovered a stasis pod" Ahsoka's eyes widened when she heard that word. "Han explained to us that it was some experiment that went wrong; Imperial scientists were testing some super-soldier serum and they used someone to do it. Eventually he broke out and massacred everything in sight until the Imps got their hands back on him and must have placed him back in the pod. But then we were attacked by the commandos; only Chewie and I escaped, Han and the others were captured. We were about to come up with a plan to rescue them when we were attacked by a katarn and it sent us down here where we found"

"Okay, we should definitely think of a way to help and the others" said Ahsoka "But what about this pod, what happened to it?"

"It got buried under a heap of debris" replied Luke "If it did survive, it should take them some time to uncover it without burying it"

"Not the most assuring, but it could be worse" said Ahsoka "Still, we have to get these Wookiees to safety—" At that moment, the sound of the background was silenced with a squeal.

"Wait, did you hear that?" said Luke.

"Hear what?" asked Ahsoka.

"The…The tak or whatever it's called, the thing that was shrieking before; it's stopped" replied Luke.

"Maybe it's tired" said Ahsoka.

"No, I've got a bad feeling about this" said Luke. The bushes began to rustle until a giant horned silhouette stomped out of them.

"That makes two of us" said Ahsoka.

"Go…away!" snarled the silhouette. He stepped out into the light of the campfire and revealed himself. He was clearly a Devaronian as evidenced by his appearance, but he also appeared to be an abominable titan. Instead of red, his skin was an albino white with large pink eyes that disturbed anyone who saw them. He wore a combat suit, large boots, and a pair of shoulder pads which were all scarlet and maroon and a pair of black fingerless gloves on his hands. He stood at eight feet and six inches tall, was extremely muscular and brawny, the teeth in his mouth had appeared to have grown into large fangs, and each of his horns were each two feet long.

"Nyugo!" said Luke as he ignited his lightsaber.

"I'm guessing this the experiment that went wrong" said Ahsoka.

"I said GO AWAY!" snarled Nyugo. He charged at them with full force.

"Quickly!" exclaimed Ahsoka. They attempted to leap out of the way but got knocked to the side in the process.

 _Meanwhile_

The smaller Imperial vehicles had reached the beachhead and the battle was now raging harder than before. Rebel AATs, AT-APs, AT-RTs, and AT-TEs marched out to defend the city with Wookiee ornithopters and Oevvaor jet catamarans providing air support alongside the LAAT gunships. As Sitra struck through various stormtroopers, a giant laser blast shot past and destroyed an AT-TE. She looked over in horror to see the AT-AT stomping closer and closer towards them.

"Pilots, focus your energy on destroying the All Terrain Armored Transport" said Sitra into her comlink "If it reaches the beach, we're dead"

"Acknowledged" replied a rebel gunship pilot out of her comlink "We'll do what we can, but I'm not sure how well we'll fair against that thing.

"Do what you can, but be careful" said Sitra "Unlike the Empire, we're not simply expendable" Suddenly, a dwarf spider droid walked up towards her and started to shoot. She leapt up into the air, landed on top of it, and stabbed downwards through it. An AT-MP then stomped up to her and shot its missiles at her. She desperately force-gripped them in mid-air and held them there for a second before shooting them back at the walker.

 _Meanwhile_

"Sir, the Rebel and Wookiee air vehicles are swarming us" said the second walker pilot "They're slowing us down"

"They've really got themselves organized" said Cronos "Keep the walker on coarse with the city, I'll deal with the aircraft" He exited the cockpit and walked through the walker until he reached an open exosuit at the back. It resembled the one he previously used on Ord Mantell except that it was much bigger (about 12 feet tall). "General, send out the _Dactillion_ -class starfighters; tell them to focus their fire on the city"

 _Meanwhile_

"It will be done" replied Mokimtho into his comlink (who appeared to be holding back his anger). He gave one last look before sighing and walking off to the hanger. Outside the complex, Katooni and Petro sat outside the wall waiting.

"I just hope Gungi gets back here in good time" said Katooni.

"Uh-huh" replied Petro. Katooni looked down at the lightsaber on his belt.

"Say, remember when you first made your lightsaber all those years ago?" said Katooni "You said you'd challenge Master Obi-Wan to a duel and kill Grievous; then Professor Huyang told you that you had constructed it wrongly and that it would only do damage to yourself. Ha; the funny thing is that Obi-Wan actually ended up finishing off Greivous for you"

"Yeah, I remember" said Petro.

"Petro, is something wrong?" asked Katooni.

"Nothing" replied Petro "Why do you ask?"

"You just seem so…different" replied Katooni "You seem so distant and stoic"

"People change, Katooni; it's part of life" said Petro.

"I know it is, it's just how they change that concerns me" said Katooni "What happened to you?" Petro sighed.

"Katooni, this isn't the time or the place" said Petro "I'll tell you later" At that moment, Gungi leapt down in front of them and growled. "He knows where they are"

"Then let's go to them" said Katooni. They snuck through the entrance.

"Get back!" said Petro as he pulled Katooni back towards a wall before a patrolling stormtrooper walked past them.

"For some max-security complex, the place seems pretty understaffed" said Katooni

"Do you hear that battle raging over there?" replied Petro "I imagine a majority of the stormtroopers are out there right now"

"So that must be what all those vehicles were coming out for" said Katooni "I sure hope the others are fine"

"Let's just focus on the task at hand" said Petro "Rachi Sitra gave us the job of taking down this base and freeing any Wookiee captives; we better not fail her" They reached the Wookiee concentration camp and watched it carefully from a distance.

"Look at all those Wookiees!" said Katooni "We have to get them out of there. Let's get down there"

"Hold it" said Petro "We need to take this slowly. For starters, I doubt the Empire would put the controls to the containment down here and I doubt it's going to be simple"

"Then where would…" asked Katooni before Petro pointed up at the complex's main building "Oh…"

"And on top of that, I'm not sure the Wookiees would so trustingly walk out of their containment; even with most of the personnel gone, the remaining security no doubt have precautions in case of an escaped Wookiee" said Petro.

"Gungi, do you think you could cut down the staff a little?" asked Katooni. Gungi growled and nodded. "Good, now go and take out whatever Imps you can; but stay hidden"

"And stay away from any security cameras and see if you can talk to the Wookiees" said Petro "I imagine the Empire must have painstakingly taught them to obey them when they open the gate" Gungi nodded and snuck off. "Now let's find a way into the facility and see if we can find controls for the camp" At that moment, several strange shaped starfighters flew out of the complex's hanger and off towards the raging battle. "And it looks like they could use as much help as they can get" The two of them snuck off.

 _Meanwhile_

"You should have run when you had the chance!" snarled Nyugo "Now you'll die! NOW YOU'LL ALL DIE!" He pulled out the repeater blaster and began blasting at them, but Luke and Ahsoka were able to get themselves up and dashed out of the way.

"I'm guessing we're not going to be able to talk our way out of this one" said Luke.

"The thought did occur to me" said Ahsoka.

"Try to get the Wookiees out of here, I'll hold him off" said Luke.

"And what if he kills you?" asked Ahsoka "He knocked us off our feet when we were just getting out of the way; I've got a feeling that's not even the half of it"

"I'll try to fall back once everything is cleared, but I'm not sure how long we'll last" said Luke "Now quickly, GO!" As he ignited his lightsaber and rushed off over to Nyugo, Ahsoka fell back to help the Wookiees.

"C'mon, let's get you out of here" said Ahsoka as she helped Attichitcuk up "Attichitcuk, could you tell them that we have to get out of this sight. Attichitcuk nodded and bellowed loudly to signal to the other Wookiees. The moment the Wookiees began moving, Nyugo's attention was drawn to them.

"Hey!" said Luke. Nyugo turned towards him. "HEY! Come over here, you!" Nyugo charged towards him; and just as he was about to hit Luke, the young Jedi leapt up onto his head and summersaulted over.

"Just DIE!" snarled Nyugo. He pulled out his cannon and fired at Luke continuously.

"Nyugo, calm down and listen" said Luke.

"Calm down?!" snarled Nyugo "You want me to calm down?! You're just like the Imperials who captured me and turned me…turned me into this!"

"Nyugo, I know what you've been through" said Luke "I know what the Empire did to you. I understand you must feel…irrational. But please stop this; we can help you"

"You don't know me at all!" snarled Nyugo "I was born an albino, my white skin set me apart from the rest of my species. I was an outcast! Even when I joined my homeworld's army I was treated with disdain; I wore red to make up for my skin's failings, but still made no difference. Eventually I was captured by the Empire and they brought me here; they subjected me to the worst physical pain imaginable! They pressed needles into my skin over and over again, and I had to be conscious through all of it! My bones expanded until they almost ripped through my skin! They kept me in constant pain until it drove me over the edge! When I finally did break free, I made sure I killed every last one of them so they would no longer cause me anymore pain! I tried to escape this planet; but everywhere I went, people attacked me! They were no different than the Imperials; so I had to kill them as well"

"They only attacked you because they were afraid" said Luke "You have to let go of your anger and confusion; I'm part of a group who are dedicated to stopping the Empire, we can help you"

"No!" snarled Nyugo "You're all the same!" He charged at Luke again.

 _Meanwhile_

Commander Cody marched onto the beachhead with a battalion of stormtroopers and started shooting down every rebel trooper and Wookiee in his path.

"Advance, men!" said Cody "We have our orders, fulfil them" A droideka that was shooting down Wookiees was suddenly force-pushed out of the way. Sitra leapt forward with Tarfful and they turned towards Cody, ready to fight. "Stay behind me, unless you want to end up dead" Cody readied his blaster and Sitra held her lightsaber in a defensive position. Suddenly, their attention was drawn by the arrival of the strange starfighters that flew out from the Imperial complex arrived at the battlefield. They were black in color and were shaped like a sideways H with a TIE fighter-like cockpit. Next to the cockpit were two pairs of laser cannons and at the ends of each point were large cannons. They were the _Dactillion_ -class starfighters. "What in the Empire?"

"I've never seen starfighters like these before" said Sitra. Suddenly, the four large cannons charged and blasted out powerful fireballs which rocketed towards the city and began to burn the trees and scorched the battlefield. "Oh no! We've got to evacuate the city quick!" She was about to use her comlink when Cody and the other stormtroopers raised their blasters at her.

"Sorry, but I can't let you do that" said Cody.

"This isn't acts of war, stormtrooper" said Sitra "This is evacuating a civilian area, surely even you should understand that" The stormtroopers looked amongst each other.

"Those starfighters, whatever they are, are Imperial" said Cody "Whatever they do, we have to support it no matter what; it's our job, we have to obey it. Touch that comlink and you're dead"

"You think you can simply kill me?" said Sitra.

"We outnumber you" said Cody "No matter how many of us you strike down, the rest will eventually gang up on you" Tarfful roared viciously and began to shoot down stormtroopers around him. "What…kill the Wookiee, kill the Jedi! Don't let that call get through!" The stormtroopers began shooting at them. Tarfful lunged forward and bashed a stormtrooper over the head with his rifle who screamed out a Wilhelm scream. Cody turned around and began shooting at him; but he dodged the first shot, picked up a dead stormtrooper, and used him as a shield shortly before throwing him over at Cody and knocking him over. Before Cody could get himself up, Tarfful lunged onto him and began choking him. Cody attempted to break free and reached towards his blaster which had slid from his hands, but Tarfful's grip was too strong for him.

"Lieutenant, the city in under fire by some new kind of starfighter" said Sitra into her comlink "The trees are burning and the city is in danger. Get the civilians out as quickly as possible"

"Already underway" said Orin* out of her comlink "We knew something was up the moment the flames hit the city; we evacuating them as fast as we can"

"Good" said Sitra "Keep doing that until every Wookiee is out"

 _Meanwhile_

"And one more thing, we had a little hassle with some Imperial commandos a few minutes ago" said Orin into his comlink as he looked around at the dead bodies of various storm commandos "They appeared to be targeting the fuel refinery. Fortunately, we were ready and were able to stop them before they could cause any real damage"

"Good to know" said Sitra out of his comlink.

 _Meanwhile_

"And that reminds me, we have to stop those Starfighters before the fire hits the fuel" said Sitra "Commander, get those starfighters down quickly before they burn the whole peninsula down" As she spoke, Cody punched Tarfful hard in the jaw and was able to wriggle free. He grabbed his blaster and aimed at Tarfful, but the Wookiee smashed it out of his hand and punched forward; but Cody ducked the punch and kicked Tarfful in the leg causing him to collapse.

"We'll do what we can but…" said the starfighter commander "Wait, something's coming!" Cody picked up his blaster and pointed it at Tarfful.

"Nothing personal" said Cody. Suddenly, a flaming X-Wing darted down and crashed on the beachhead. As Cody was distracted by the crash, Tarfful grabbed him by the legs and pulled him down.

"What's happening?" asked Sitra.

"Something's flying through the sky tearing us apart" replied the commander "It's like some kind of…AHHHH!" Suddenly, Cronos in his exosuit flew up to his X-Wing, grabbed it by the wings, and flung it in the direction of a _Dactillion_ -class starfighter which burned it to bits. Cronos looked down at the beachhead and noticed Sitra standing there. He swooped down and landed in front of her.

"Rachi Sitra" said Cronos "Fortune has given me a second Jedi to kill"

"Cronos!" said Sitra "I should have known from those starfighters that you had a part in this"

"My latest creation: the _Dactillion_ -class starfighter" said Cronos "Designed to scorch the battlefield and anyone on it. It's reliance on fire does make it ineffective in space, but that is something to work on. Now…" He retracted melee blades from his wrists and powered up an electrical charge in them. "Time to take you out of the picture!" He swung his blades at Sitra who blocked them desperately with her lightsaber.

 _Meanwhile_

"Report in" said the storm commando leader into his comlink "Trooper, report in. No response"

"Could they have been killed?" asked a storm commando.

"We'll find out soon enough" replied the storm commando leader "We're going in"

"Seriously?" said another storm commando "Whatever took out the others could still be there"

"Then we'll come prepared" replied the storm commando leader.

"What about the prisoner's?" asked another storm commando "We're all that's left, who's going to guard them?"

"We'll take them with us" replied the storm commando leader "Bring them up" One of the storm commandos pulled Han and the others up.

"I still think this is a bad idea" said the first storm commando "We should get going while we still can"

"General Cronos gave us specific orders to search this lab for a stasis pod and we have not found it yet" said the storm commando leader "We're not leaving until we are absolutely certain it is not here"

"I don't see why we're taking commands from that creep" said the storm commando "I've had enough of Non-Humans in command; at times I think they're just putting us on these missions to get back at us for mistreating them or something"

"With all the stuff he's been doing to the Wookiees, I doubt General Cronos is all about helping all Non-Humans" said the storm commando leader. Suddenly, Han threw his smoke grenade through his legs and it set off, clouding the whole area with smoke.

"I can't see anything!" said a storm commando.

"Switch to—" said the storm commando leader before he felt someone push into him and grab his blaster. Suddenly, the sound of constant shooting erupted. When the smoke cleared, the storm commando found himself face to face with Han, who's bounds had been ripped off and he was holding the commando's blaster as well as his own. "This is ridiculous; how did you even—"

"Do you think this is the first time I've found myself bound in a makeshift place against armed guards?" replied Han "Stuff like this becomes instinctive after a while" The storm commando leader looked down at a single thermal detonator on his belt. "I wouldn't do that"

"And why not?" said the storm commando leader.

"Say you do finish us with that, what are you going to do next?" replied Han "The Shadowlands filled with dangers, too much for one person to face alone; even someone…as trained as you may be will find it hard to get out of here alive. You're really going to waste a perfectly good thermal detonator on a one-in-a-million chance to get away?" The storm commando leader quickly threw the thermal detonator at them and leapt to the side, seizing a blaster from one of the dead storm commandos lying on the ground. "Oh boy! Clear the area!" He and the pathfinders ran out of the way just before the detonator went off. The storm commando disappeared into the trees around them and vanished into the darkness.

"Captain Solo, he's escaping" said a pathfinder.

"He's dead meat" said Han "No use running after dead meat. The concern at the moment is Luke and Chewie, they weren't among us when we were captured; and if those guys killed a Jedi, we'd hear a lot of bragging. We have to check up on them"

 _Meanwhile_

Nyugo pushed Luke back against a tree and started shooting wildly at him, but he dodged and deflected the shots. Nyugo clenched his fist and punched forward, but Luke leapt to the side and the Devaronian ended up punching into the tree. Luke rolled under his legs and got up on the other side.

"Luke, are you there?" asked Han out of his comlink "Luke?"

"Han!?" exclaimed Luke.

"Nice to hear you again too, kid" said Han sarcastically.

"How did you…" said Luke "I thought you were captured"

"I was, but I got my way out of it" said Han "What happened to you and Chewie?"

"We were…" said Luke as he dodged to the side "We were about to stage a rescue but then we got caught up by Trandoshan slavers"

"Trandoshans?" said Han "Here?"

"Yeah, they captured Ahsoka and some Wookiees and we freed them" said Luke "Now Chewie's gone off after a Trandoshan and—"

"Chewie's gone off?!" said Han "You're really keeping everyone together, aren't you?"

"Listen, I can't talk right now" said Luke "I'm trying to fight off Nyugo—"

"Nyugo!" exclaimed Han "When did that…Never mind, I don't want to know. Where are you? We'll come to—"

"No, Han" said Luke "If anyone armed comes up here, he could turn irrational"

"Turn irrational?" said Han "Are you serious? He murdered countless people in cold blood, that's pretty irrational if you ask me"

"I know, but—" said Luke shortly before Nyugo threw a log at him.

"Luke?" said Han "Luke! Damn it! We'll come to find you" As Luke slowly got himself up, Nyugo walked up to him and gritted his teeth.

"Listen; I don't want to hurt you, but—" said Luke shortly before Nyugo lunged forward, grabbed him by the wrist, and slammed him to the ground, knocking his lightsaber out of his hand.

"The moment you let your guard down, you condemn yourself!" said Nyugo whilst grabbing Luke by the head and holding him up. "I learnt that the hard way!" He placed his other hand on Luke's head and began to squeeze hard. Suddenly, he was force-pushed back and Luke was able to wriggle out of his hands. Ahsoka stepped forward with her lightsaber ignited.

"Luke, get over here quick!" said Ahsoka. Luke got himself up, pulled his lightsaber from the dirt, and rushed over to her.

"Are the Wookiees safe?" asked Luke.

"They're hiding in the undergrowth nearby" replied Ahsoka "They're staying on alert; but with Bossk still out there, I'm worried about them"

"Then I guess we'll have to subdue Nyugo quick" said Luke as Nyugo got himself up "I tried to calm him down, but he's too enraged to reason with"

"Then let's take him together" said Ahsoka "We'll take him down together"

"That we can both agree on" said Luke. Nyugo growled as he charged over to them.

 _Meanwhile_

Sitra clashed against Cronos, who was using shields on his arms to block her attacks.

"Not bad, for an archaeologist" said Cronos.

"Just because I'd prefer to dedicate my life to digging, doesn't mean I'm not prepared to fight" said Sitra "Especially when the aggressor attacks a civilian target"

"Stop being so self-righteous" said Cronos. Suddenly, he struck forward and punched Sitra across the face, sending her back.

"Tell me; is it really you this time, or is it just a stand in like last time?" asked Sitra.

"Last time I was working within a timeframe, so keeping up appearances was necessary" replied Cronos "But now I can deal with you myself, first hand!" He retracted out a pair of melee blades from his wrists and struck forward towards Sitra. Sitra leapt up onto a dwarf spider droid behind her and Cronos slashed into it instead. She then leapt up and landed onto the back of Cronos's exosuit.

"Time to end this once and for all!" said Sitra.

"Not just now!" said Cronos. He activated his exosuit's jetpack and flew up into the air, causing Sitra to lose grip of her lightsaber and drop it in the process. He then flew back down towards the ground, ready to crush her, but she leapt off quickly and landed on the ground in front of him. She quickly summoned her lightsaber back to her hand and they clashed again. As Tarfful and Cody clashed, a scout trooper with a sniper rifle watched them carefully.

"Goodbye, hairbag!" said the scout trooper. He fired at Tarfful who noticed the blaster bolt coming towards him and fell back, separating himself from Cody in the process. As Cody prepared his blaster again, a battalion of stormtroopers swooped in to assist him and pointed their blasters at Tarfful again.

"Let's kill him!" said one of the stormtroopers.

"No, the Jedi's in a middle of a battle; and none of you are bound to last in the crossfire" said Cody "Let's fallback while we still can"

 _Meanwhile_

Chewbacca snuck through the undergrowth until he heard the disconcerting sound of Trandoshan speaking which caused him to stop in his tracks.

"Never mind that, do you have them?" asked Bossk in Dosh. Chewbacca glanced through the bushes and saw Bossk chatting with another Trandoshan amongst cages of Wookiees.

"Yes, we do" replied the Trandoshan in Dosh "But I hardly see the specified interest in a mother Wookiee and her child, it's the males in their prime that are in high demand; remember?"

"This is for…a different reason" said Bossk in Dosh "Not so much labor, rather…bait"

"I see" said the Trandoshan in Dosh "Bring them out!" Two Trandoshans pulled out a cage containing a female Wookiee, who was fearfully clutching onto her child. Chewbacca gasped. "So; if this is bait, would you like us to place them somewhere in particular?"

"Right here is just fine!" said Bossk. He pulled out his blaster rifle and shot at the bush next to Chewbacca. "I'd recognize your scent anywhere, runt! You may come out now! No need to hide…" He pointed his blaster rifle at the cage. "Because you'll want to get a good view of this!" Chewbacca reluctantly stood himself up. "Good, now drop the crossbow" Chewbacca dropped his bowcaster and put his hands behind his head. "Now come over here like a good boy!" Chewbacca reluctantly walked over to him. "The moment I caught your stench, Runt, it reminded me of this particular capture; and they came in use after all. I probably would have forgotten about them if you hadn't have turned up" Chewbacca looked over at the two Wookiees in the cage and sighed. "Come to rescue the wife and child, typical. Well don't worry, I'm not going to let you part from them; I've always dreamt of having a family pelt collection, especially with you in it. And now I have you just where I want you, Runt!" Suddenly, a barrage of blaster bolts fired towards them and began hitting the Trandoshans. Bossk looked up to see Han and the remaining pathfinders shooting down at them. "How is this—" Suddenly, Chewbacca leapt on top of him and pulled him to the ground where he began to brutally punch the Trandoshan across the face continuously. However, for a brief moment he caught sight of his wife and child within the cage as they looked at him. This caused him to stop punching Bossk and let out a sigh. Suddenly, Bossk let out an evil and unsettling cackle. "This is why I'll always have the edge over you, Runt…" He slashed forward at Chewbacca's face and sent him backwards. "Because I'll always be willing to cross the line!" He quickly got himself up and scuttle up the nearest tree.

"Chewie!" exclaimed a voice. Han rushed up to Chewbacca and helped him up. "You alright?" Chewbacca growled. "You know; I expect this reckless disregard of someone's life from me, but not from you of all people. I know you, Chewie; even with your fellow Wookiees in peril you'd construct a better plan than this" Chewbacca growled again. "Wait…" He turned to the female Wookiee and child in their cage. "Malla…Lumpy…" He rushed over to the cage, shot the lock, and swung the door wide open. "You two alright? It's me, Han, remember?" Mallatobuck nodded and growled. "Lumpy, my you've grown. It's been like…three years" At that moment, Chewbacca latched onto the tree and started climbing up it. "Chewie, where are you going?" Chewbacca looked back down at him and growled. "Wh-What? You can't just leave us like this! I don't care if it's Bossk!" Chewbacca growled back. "But…I get it; I'll make sure your family is safe. But there's something I have to know first; where was Luke when you last saw him?" Chewbacca growled and pointed off in a direction in the forest. Han looked off in the direction. "Got it; you lot, there's something I've got to do, look after the Wookiees while I'm gone"

"Will do" said a pathfinder.

 _Meanwhile_

Mokimtho sat at the strategy table, thinking intently, when the door to the hallway suddenly opened up. Katooni and Petro entered.

"I think we're here" said Katooni.

"And I think we just got spotted" said Petro. Mokimtho grabbed a blaster and pointed it at them.

"Don't move, intruders!" said Mokimtho "I don't know how you got in or what you may hope to achieve, but this is as far as you get!"

"Believe me, that blaster is not going to make much of a difference" said Katooni.

"Maybe not, but this will" said Mokimtho as he placed his finger on top of a button "This button calls for security and it is almost instantaneous. Make a single move against me and I will press it" Suddenly, Petro force-pushed him to the back of the room. The two of them then walked over to a set of controls overlooking the window.

"These look like the controls for the cage" said Katooni.

"Let me have a look at them" said Petro. As the two of them examined the controls, Mokimtho got himself up and snuck off to the side and hid in the shadows. "From the looks of things, this lever is the cage release; if I pull it, the camp should open" Mokimtho slowly pulled out a grenade launcher and aimed it at the two of them. "If Gungi's done his job, we'll be able to do ours" As Petro grabbed onto the lever, Mokimtho pulled the trigger to the grenade launcher. Fortunately, Katooni heard the distinctive click and stood in Petro's way.

"Stand clear!" said Katooni. As the grenade came firing towards them, Katooni force-blasted forward and sent the grenade firing back at Mokimtho.

"NO!" yelled Mokimtho. He tried to run out of the way but the grenade hit him before he could escape and exploded, shattering the glass window and attracting the attention of two stormtroopers who were on patrol.

"Something's happening" said one of the stormtroopers.

"Let's have a look" said the other stormtrooper. The two of them rushed off towards the building.

"Way to keep it subtle" said Petro.

"Sorry for saving our lives" said Katooni sarcastically. Petro pulled down the lever and the gates to the concentration camp opened.

"That should do it" said Petro "Let's get down there" As the two of them quickly rushed out of the room, the two stormtroopers froze to a stop when they heard the camp's alarm ringing and turned to see the Wookiees walking out of the camp.

"What!?" said the first stormtroopers "There's nothing scheduled that involves the Wookiees! Why are the gates released?"

"Hold on just a sec while I go over it with the general" said the second stormtrooper "General Mokimtho, the Wookiees are stepping out of the camp; authorized this?" There was no reply. "Hello? General, are you there?"

"Um, they seem to be heading for us" said the first stormtrooper. The Wookiees began to corner them and growl viciously.

"They shouldn't be able to do this" said the second stormtrooper "They should know by now to follow directions when lead out at the alarm"

"Where are the others?" said the first stormtrooper "We can't be the only ones left?"

"Stay calm" said the second stormtrooper "They may outnumber us, but we still hold the advantage of having blaster" He and the other stormtrooper pointed their blasters at the Wookiees. "Back, you walking carpets! Back or we'll shoot!" At that moment, they bumped into something behind them.

"What the—" said the first stormtrooper before they turned around to see Gungi standing in front of them.

"Another one!" exclaimed the second stormtrooper "How did—" He grabbed both of them by the necks and threw them at the crowd of Wookiees.

"Oh no!" exclaimed the first stormtrooper as the Wookiees began to beat them up. One of the Wookiees lifted one of them up and threw them into a wall.

 _Meanwhile_

Sitra looked up into the sky as a group of X-Wings and Y-Wings flew over her.

"Antilles, focus your fire on the Imperial starfighters and try to take them down before they cause more damage to the city" said Sitra into her comlink.

"Roger that, General Sitra" said Wedge into his starfighter's comlink.

"And remember to stay out of the AT-AT's firing range" said Sitra. Cronos slashed in towards her.

"The Dactillion starfighters are better protected than your average TIE fighter" said Cronos "It will take more to shoot them down"

"We'll still do it" said Sitra "Nothing you say can stop us"

"But that doesn't mean you'll succeed either" said Cronos.

 _Meanwhile_

Chewbacca climbed up the tree until he reached the top branches. However, Bossk was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, he felt something bash him across the back of the head and knock him down.

"Hairball!" snarled a voice. Chewbacca looked up to see Bossk standing over him with large tree branch in his branch. He raised it and slammed down towards Chewbacca again, but the Wookiee rolled to the side and got himself up again. Bossk swung at him again but Chewbacca caught it, ripped it from his hands, and threw it to the side. Bossk snarled, pulled out his blaster rifle, and began shooting at Chewbacca. "Nothing's changed, runt! You're still soft!" Chewbacca growled viciously and struck him across the chest with his fist, knocking his rifle from his hands in the process. "Ha! Your threats are nothing but empty! I know you too well, Runt; you'll never cross that line, no matter how hard you're pushed" Chewbacca threw another punch but Bossk ducked from it and claw Chewbacca in the side. Chewbacca cried out in pain before Bossk gave him an uppercut punch. "That's what makes you Wookiees weak, you're too afraid to embrace your inner animal; and whenever you do, it's looked on as a disgrace. In my people, the animal is part of us and we embrace it" He began punching Chewbacca continuously. "Why can't you? Why can't you just give in and accept what you are!? Animals, we're all animals!" As he was about to give Chewbacca another punch in the face, the Wookiee grabbed his fist, crunched it, and gave him a powerful head-butt. He then grabbed him by the neck and pulled him over to the edge of the tree, dangling him over the edge into the dark abyss below. "Well, this is quite impressive. Well, what are you waiting for? This is your one opportunity to get rid of me forever, Runt. Think about it; all of the atrocities, all of the pain. And not just what I've personally caused, there's some real bad blood between our people. You can take it all out on me right here right now; no one's watching, your precious family cannot see you do this. You can do whatever horrors you want to me, to avenge your people, and no one will ever hold it against you because they have no idea!" Chewbacca gritted his teeth, snarling viciously and his grip over Bossk's throat tightening. Eventually however, his glare softened and he eased up on Bossk's throat. "I knew you never had the stomach!" Suddenly, he slashed at Chewbacca's face, causing the Wookiee to drop him suddenly. As he dropped down, he gripped his claws onto the side of the tree and slid down before grabbing onto a nearby vine and swinging away. He vanished into the darkness of the trees. Chewbacca sighed and climbed back down the tree. As soon as he reached the bottom, he turned towards Mallatobuck and Lumpawaroo who were sitting next to a damaged cage. He rushed over to them and embraced the two of them in a large hug.

 _Meanwhile_

Luke and Ahsoka leapt back as Nyugo swung a large log towards them. As he dropped the log, he pulled a large rock out of the ground and threw it towards them. Luke cut the rock in half with his lightsaber as it passed them.

"We've been fighting for ages now and he shows no signs of weakening" said Ahsoka "I'm not sure how long we can keep this up"

"The problem is we can't get close to him without getting torn apart" said Luke "He can avoid lightsaber strikes so easily and strike back as if it's nothing. We have to try something more direct, maybe a force-push would do"

"I think he could stand a single force-push" said Ahsoka.

"Not a single one" said Luke "A combined one"

"Oh…" said Ahsoka "That sounds more appealing" The two of them charged towards Nyugo and forced-pushed him forward. Unfortunately, he gripped his claws into the dirt and only went back a few meters. He then flipped over, landed just behind Luke and Ahsoka, grabbed both of them by the necks before they could even react, and slammed them into the ground with full force. As he gripped onto a nearby rock and slowly lifted it up, the storm commando leader came rushing out of the forest and pulled his blaster out upon seeing Nyugo.

"No more!" snarled Nyugo. Suddenly, the storm commando leader shot Nyugo in the leg causing him to roar out in pain and almost collapse. As he turned his head around towards the storm commando leader and gritted his teeth, he threw the rock over towards him.

"Oh no!" exclaimed the storm commando leader as he dodged away from the incoming rock. Nyugo got himself up and limping charged at him, ramming his horns straight through him before ripping him off and throwing him to the side. After breathing heavily for several seconds, he let out a loud and anger-filled roar. At that moment, there was a sharp whistle. He turned around to see Han standing at the edge of a cliff overlooking the river.

"Hey!" said Han "You're Nyugo, right? I've heard of you"

"What do you want?!" snarled Nyugo.

"Isn't it obvious?" replied Han "I came to stare at the freak, that's what. When I heard you were a Devaronian, I pictured a big red devil; instead, I found some white-skinned horned creature with big pink eyes" Nyugo gritted his teeth and stomped over towards Han.

"Han, what are you doing?" said Luke "Don't get him agitated"

"Agitated?" said Han "Just listen to yourself, Luke; your acting as if he's some sort of dog or something. This…thing obviously can't be reasoned with; you'd have to be absolutely stupid not to notice" Nyugo grabbed Han by the throat and lifted him up.

"So I'm a thing, aren't I?" said Nyugo "I'm the thing that's going to kill you!"

"Better **things** have tried!" smirked Han. He quickly drew out his blaster and shot at the ground beneath them, causing it to start collapsing and crumbling away. Before Nyugo could even react, Han quickly shot him in the wrist and got himself free of his grip. He then leapt over Nyugo's shoulder and landed back onto secure land, leaving the Devaronian titan to fall into the river below. "Now that's cutting it a bit close"

"Han, what are you doing here?" asked Luke as he and Ahsoka walked up to him.

"Saving you guys, what does it look like?" replied Han "Now come on, let's get you two back to the rest of the group so we can get out of here"

 _Meanwhile_

"Watch out for that fireball!" exclaimed Wedge as the Dactillion starfighters shot fireballs towards them and wiped out several starfighters "Damn! Never have to worry about this in space. Everyone, pull up; if we've got a chance against these things, it's not taking them head-on. Try to get out of its firing range" He and the other starfighters pulled up away from the starfighters. A group of All Terrain Kashyyyk Transports ganged up towards Sitra as she fought Cronos and began shooting nets at her. As they did, she desperately cut the nets as they shot towards her; as this happened, Cronos charged up an electrical pulse in his hands and blasted Sitra forward where she was caught in one of the nets and struck her the ground.

"Quite anticlimactic" said Cronos. He grabbed the net Sitra was in and pulled her back. "I was hoping to get more of a fight out of you, but I will not throw away the opportunity to end a Jedi; but I may as well savor the moment while I have it" He raised his fist and began to brutally beat up the entangled Jedi ruthlessly. As the air battle overhead raged on, one of the _Dactillion_ starfighters charged up its fireball beam.

"Stay clear!" said Wedge "Looks like it's charging up again" He swung around and flew towards the starfighter from behind. "But you know what; perhaps we can use it against them!" He shot at the side of the starfighter causing the fireball beams on that side to blow up, sending the flaming remains rocketing towards the AT-AT.

"Incoming!" exclaimed the first walker pilot as the starfighter smashed into the walker's cockpit. Flames burst out of the AT-AT as it collapsed down onto its side in a burning heap. It was this that drew Cronos's attention and caused him to turn to look in its direction.

"What is that?" said Cronos. Sitra reached her hand out, summoned her lightsaber, ignited it, and cut herself loose.

"Looks like things have just changed" said Sitra.

"Don't be so sure" said Cronos "General Mokimtho, send out the next wave; I require reinforcements" There was no reply. "General? General Mokimtho, come in?!"

"No reinforcements" said Sitra "Let's settle this now"

"All troops, prepare for a retreat" said Cronos into his comlink "We'll go to the capital of Rwookrrorro. Questions will answered afterwards"

"What are you doing?" asked Sitra.

"The AT-AT was our main source of ground support; without it or suitable reinforcements, the battle will be much harsher" replied Cronos "We still have a chance of winning, but the potential loss or damage to experimental equipment and vehicles is too great a risk. Savor this victory; the battle may be yours, but the war is far from over" He flew off and disappeared from sight. At that moment, Tarfful ran up to Sitra and growled.

"I know, they're retreating" said Sitra "We'd better get back and start rebuilding" Tarfful turned and began roaring towards the remaining Wookiees on the battlefield who in return began roaring and growling triumphantly.

 _Meanwhile_

Cronos flew down and landed in a secluded area next to an Imperial Dropship Transport. At the transport stood an Imperial lieutenant with a black helmet, an implanted respirator mask, and black goggles.

"I trust the test was a success, general" said the lieutenant.

"Correct, Lieutenant Falcione" replied Cronos as his slowly retracted off "The _Dactillion_ -class starfighters are very proficient in reducing civilizations to ash. Although this also makes them quite handicapped within space; we must think of a way to improve upon that weakness" As he stepped into the dropship and had his exosuit put in, it took off and flew away.

"And that reminds me; everything worked as planned" said Falcione "Congratulations, Grand Moff Cronos" Cronos smiled.

"Perfect!" said Cronos.

 _Later_

The Wookiees and rebel troopers celebrated within the repairing remains of Kachirho as the sun rose. As Han sat to the side, tapping his hands on the branch he was leaning on to the beat, Luke and Ahsoka walked up to him.

"So how's Chewie going?" asked Luke.

"Just look over there" replied Han whilst pointing off in the distance. Luke and Ahsoka looked over at the large campfire where Chewbacca and his family were celebrating. "When he first came here, he was more upset and unsettled than I'd ever seen him; now he's the happiest Wookiee in the galaxy. Bringing him here was a great idea"

"So what do you think happened to Nyugo?" asked Luke "I know he was dangerous, but it was all because of what those Imperials did to him"

"Hopefully he's gone" replied Han "It doesn't matter how sympathetic one is; if they're beyond help, they're beyond help. That guy had killed countless civilians; even if you did undo what the Empire did to him, it's unlikely he'll ever mentally recover from that"

"I suppose you're right" said Luke "If he is gone, perhaps he did find peace"

 _Meanwhile_

An Imperial Dropship Transport flew off to the city of Rwookrrorro with Cody and some other stormtroopers onboard.

"Man, all that for nothing" said one of the stormtroopers "We wasted our men, our resources, our vehicles, and even the nearest base to those carpets on that stupid battle"

"You think that's bad, just wait until Grand General Kuonzin finds out" said another stormtrooper "He seems to be becoming the Emperor's favorite amongst the grand generals, especially now that Vader's out of the way. If this battle infuriates him enough, he'll probably kill us all himself"

"Calm down, you lot" said Cody "Now's not the time to worry and throw yourselves off balance"

"But what if the big lizard does snap?" asked the second stormtrooper "I heard once that he impaled three officers just because they questioned his orders while doing them. Not even Vader is that harsh"

"Then it's a good thing we found this washed up beside the river" said Cody "If there's one thing he loves, it's a living thing for him to torture. Besides; if I've done my research properly, this thing's already Imperial property" Strapped to the ground of the dropship was the unconscious body of Nyugo who slowly regained consciousness.

"Commander, I think he's waking up" said a stormtrooper.

"Not for long" said Cody. He walked over to Nyugo, pointed his blaster at his face, and shot a stun blast at him.

 _Later_

As Nyugo slowly regained consciousness, all he could see was a bright blinding light. As his vision got better, he found himself within what appeared to be an Imperial medical facility.

"Finally awake" said a voice. Nyugo turned his head to the side to see Kuonzin standing there. "So you're Drokon Nyugo, the Devaronian soldier the Empire captured for their experiments. I must admit, I too bought the lie that you had been put down; but I guess you're too valuable to simply abandon. But at the same time, you seem to be wasted simply left to the side. Something like you…you could do so much more" Nyugo gritted his teeth and shot himself up. He stood himself up, pushed an FX-6 medical assistant droid to the side, and growled viciously, looking as though he was ready to tear Kuonzin apart. "I thought not" He pulled out a small remote and pressed a button on it. The instant he did this, Nyugo felt an intense and excruciating pain coming from his brain. He held his head in pain and roared out in pain as he collapsed to the ground weakening. Kuonzin chuckled evilly. "It works better than I expected. The surgeons did their job well. Welcome to the Empire, Nyugo"

"What did you do to me?!" snarled Nyugo.

"I know enough about you" replied Kuonzin "You're like me; you're a bringer of chaos, pain, suffering, death…so I had to show you my dominance to you" He grabbed Nyugo by the right horn, placed his foot on his shoulder, and slammed him to the floor painfully. "While you were out, I had the surgeons implant a chip within your skull; when activated, it will cause intense neurological pain. To think, the entire suffering of a single being at my fingertips; the thought becomes more and more…intriguing" As his thumb rubbed against temptingly, he kneeled down and placed his mouth just next to Nyugo's ear. "Now listen, and listen carefully; do exactly as I say, kill who I want dead, cause whatever chaos I desire, and never hold back. If you don't…well, I think you're smart enough to know what the full extent of the consequences will be" He pressed the button again and Nyugo once again writhed in great pain. "Welcome, Nyugo…Welcome my game!" As he laughed evilly, he pressed the button again hard and watched as Nyugo roared out in agony and held his head to the point he dug his claws into it.

 ***** : Originally a Nautolan character that appeared in the chapter _Jedi Reckoning_ in last season, I decided to rename him Orin (I'm still working on a last name; I would appreciate suggestions, something that sounds Star Wars-y and fits a Nautolan).

 **Author's note #1** : I apologize for the lack of comment replies for the last chapter. With all the pressure I've been under, it's been hard to write them down.

 **Author's note #2** : I know this is going to be controversial, but I've been looking back at some of my previous chapters and I can't help but feel unsatisfied with the names of some of my main or recurring characters (especially since I've been going through a lot of Star Wars content recently) and I've been thinking of renaming them. I know more changes sounds questionable (believe me, I try my hardest to appreciate what I've already constructed and established); but if I do end up making one more change, I guarantee it will be the last and it will only be character names rather than how events played out. It might be just the stress talking and it's something that has to pass with time, but I'll try to hold off any name changes until after Fire Across the Galaxy is done to see how I feel. Anyways, until next time.


	4. Fire Across the Galaxy part 4

**Author's note #1** : Sorry about the long delay, things got pretty hectic and I had to spend extra time on this chapter.

 **Author's note #2** : As I stated in the last chapter, I was considering renaming some of my main or recurring OC characters as I felt the need to make them feel more Star Wars-y and now I will reveal what I have come up with:

-Kuonzin is now named Kionzin

-Emerl Hatana is now named Emerl Hathora

-Carth'la is now named Cath'la (I felt uneasy having "Carth" in her name because of Carth Onasi)

-Qila is now named Iheryx (because I felt there were enough Jedi characters with names starting with Q)

-Shifty's real name is now Limo Pelota and he is now a Balosar (as I felt that would make him more slimy)

Anyways, that's it for now; hopefully these are the only changes to my previous work that I'll do from now on. Believe me; when I do work, I try to make sure what I do is permanent so I don't have to go back on it. But since I do this all on my own, there are times where I run into confusion and I find it hard to work it out alone. At least this time though it's only the names, something that can be easily corrected

 **Fire Across the Galaxy part 4: The Mercenary**

 _Success at Kashyyyk! After a brief but brutal battle, the rebels were able to help the Wookiees fight off the invading Imperial forces on Kachirho; unfortunately however, General Tame Cronos escaped and his subsequent promotion to Grand Moff could prove to be disastrous!_

 _Currently; Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano are spending time in Echo Base's medical center to recover from injuries they sustained during the battle, Han Solo and Chewbacca the Wookiee are off on smuggling missions, and Princess Leia prepares Mon Mothma's office for a forthcoming Rebel council meeting initiated by Borsk Fey'lya. But as the rebels take a breath after their latest battle, the Emperor begins plotting his next sinister move…_

 _Echo Base, Hoth_

Luke and Ahsoka sat in the medical center in front of a small hologram of Leia.

"And with all that out of the way, all that's left is to clean up Mon Mothma's office" said Leia "I'm trying to calm her down, she's been under a lot of stress recently what with the proposed election. Even I've been getting tired out recently; if the rest of the council really did agree that an election was a good idea, then the chance of her staying in office is much less than we originally thought. The thought of Fey'lya in office is…less than desirable, he's been known to make irrational choices"

"That's putting it lightly" said Ahsoka.

"I don't get it, Mon Mothma was doing perfectly fine; with the war intensifying, why would the Rebel High Command think it's a good idea to slow everything down with an election?" asked Luke.

"Mon Mothma was good friends with my father back when they were just senators in the Galactic Senate; after my father died, she was naturally the best choice to take command" replied Leia "Not everyone was happy though"

"And why was that?" asked Luke.

"I never really got into detail about it; but according to some who'd been around since before the rise of the Empire, they thought she…resembled the Emperor before he became the Emperor

"What?!" said Ahsoka "That's crazy!"

"I know, but it's enough to cause doubt in the Rebellion" said Leia "Add that to the fact that a Dark Jedi was able to subdue and control her and you have things flying off the rails" She looked around. "Listen, things are pretty tight at the moment and I'd better get back to work. Good luck and may the Force be with you both" As the hologram turned off, Ahsoka sighed, stood up, and started to walk off.

"Ahsoka, is something wrong?" asked Luke as he stood up and walked over to her.

"I guess the thought of Borsk Fey'lya in charge of the Alliance just gets me a little heated" said Ahsoka.

"I understand" said Luke "I know what he did to you, he framed you for something he committed and he got away with it. Believe me; if I was in that situation, I'd be upset too. Heck, I'm upset right now knowing that someone that despicable is walking free"

"Well, at least it makes two of us" said Ahsoka.

"Just promise me you won't do anything too rash" said Luke "We don't want to give him reason to counterattack"

"Don't worry; he ticks me off, but I wouldn't go as far as hurt him" said Ahsoka "You know, it's times like this that I wonder what I'd do without you, Skyguy; Anakin was always there to help guide me if I needed help, even when things got to him he'd always be there for me. Glad to see that passed down to you" Luke smiled but it was quickly broken when Ahsoka gave him a peck on the cheek. "Oh…sorry…I just a little carried away"

"Yeah, you could say that again" said Luke whilst rubbing his cheek. Ahsoka turned and left. "Wow!" As he turned and left the other way, he heard a low groan coming from the hallway next to him. He turned around and saw lying down on a bed was Master Senube. "Oh no!" He rushed over to Sinube's side and checked his pulse.

"Is there something bothering you, Commander Skywalker?" asked 2-1B as he walked over to Luke.

"Yeah" replied Luke "Where'd you find this patient?"

"Master Sinube came to us only a day ago" replied 2-1B "He said he needed some rest and requested to stay in the medical center"

"Do any of the Jedi know of this?" asked Luke.

"General Rieekan made sure to inform General Kota" replied 2-1B "He told us to take care of Senube whilst he stays here"

"So he came here to rest" said Luke "That's quite a lot, especially for a Jedi"

"He may be a Jedi, but he's also really old" said 2-1B "He could barely stand up on his cane when he arrived"

"Is there anything you do for him?" asked Luke.

"I'm afraid there's nothing we can truly do to cure old age" replied 2-1B "The best option is for him to rest and regain his energy; but it will only delay the inevitable, not prevent it. He's old, even for a Cosian; but we'll look after him as long as we can"

"Good to know" said Luke. He sat down on a seat next to the resting Sinube. "I sure hope he'll feel better when he wakes up"

 _Meanwhile on Cato Neimoidia_

Nyugo stood in a cell where a containment field bound his arms to the wall. At that moment, Kionzin entered.

"Feeling refreshed?" asked Kionzin in a sadistic manner.

"What do you want?!" snarled Nyugo. Kionzin pulled out his remote and activated the chip, causing Nyugo to go through extreme pain.

"That's no way to speak to your new master, is it?" said Kionzin. He pulled a shiv from his waist. "Now do yourself a favor and stay still"

"Or what?" asked Nyugo.

"Or the pain you feel will be worse" replied Kionzin. He slashed at Nyugo's cheek with full force, creating a surprisingly deep scar on it.

"What are you doing?" asked Nyugo.

"An experiment" replied Kionzin "The results of which will be found out shortly" He turned to leave.

"What is it?" asked Nyugo "What is this experiment about?"

"That information is need to know; and as far as I'm concerned, you don't need to" replied Kionzin.

"ANSWER ME!" snarled Nyugo as he struggled against the containment field. At that moment, Kionzin pulled out his remote. "No, wait!" Kionzin pressed the button and made him scream out in pain.

"Honestly, you should have seen that coming" said Kionzin. He looked over at the controls to the containment field. "In fact…" He extended his hand out and used the Force to turn on the torture controls, causing the containment field to charge up with electricity which shocked Nyugo intensely. After turning the controls off, he walked over to Nyugo and placed his hands on the side of the Devaronian's head and started to squeeze it slowly. "Let that be a lesson about asking questions with me; and if it's not…well, I am curious to see how you'd fare against both the chip and the torture at the same time" Nyugo bared his teeth and growled as Kionzin let go of his head and left. As he left the cell and walked out into the colorful hallway, he was approached by a nervous Neimoidian aide. "What is it, Sautren?"

"M-My lord, I merely have come to check on you" said Moth Sautren (the Neimoidian) "How is the…torture going"

"I'm breaking him down, slowing and surely" replied Kionzin as he walked past a statue of Lok Durd and a painting of Mar Tuuk during the Battle of Ryloth "It won't be long until he fully understands that he is my property. Is there something else you wish to speak of?"

"Yes, my lord" replied Sautren "The Emperor demands your presence, my lord" Kionzin stopped.

"If you'll excuse me" said Kionzin. He turned around and walked down to the other end of the hallway. He entered a dimly lit room and kneeled down as a life-sized hologram of the Emperor appeared before him. "What is it, Lord Sidious?"

"Grand General Kionzin, I trust the sieges are going as planned?" asked the Emperor.

"They are, my liege" replied Kionzin "The other Grand Generals and I have caused enough commotion stretch as many Rebel forces across the galaxy, and we're taking out as many bases as we can find"

"Excellent work" said the Emperor "Now, it is time to execute the next stage of the plan; gather your forces and launch an attack on Corellia. My spies have received information that the Rebel leaders will be meeting there and thus gives us the best opportunity to capture them. Bring them to me alive"

"Yes, my liege" said Kionzin "But while you are here, there is something I must ask of you"

"Make it quick" said the Emperor.

"The chain of command you have currently formed for the Imperial Military seems…temporary" said Kionzin "You can't have all the Grand Generals in the absolute leading system of the military forever"

"What are you proposing?" asked the Emperor.

"Let me rule by your side, my lord" replied Kionzin "Not just as Supreme Commander, but as your apprentice. Teach me the teachings of the Sith and I will do whatever you want"

"You are aware that position is already taken?" said the Emperor.

"Darth Vader has failed you, my lord" said Kionzin "He was captured by the Rebels and the only reason they don't kill him now is because they have the faintest hope that he'll tell them Imperial secrets"

"Vader may have failed; but even incarcerated, he is still my apprentice" said the Emperor "And if I am to disown him, it will be in person. Besides; if I were you, I would be much more thankful. Remember; when we first recovered you, you had lost the Force. We could hardly consider you a Dark Side Adept, and yet we let you in and gave you the position of Grand General; a rank second only to Supreme Commander in the Imperial Army. The very fact that you did manage to regain your sensitivity remains a miracle. Now go prepare the army and I would prefer it if there were no more questions asked"

"Yes, my lord" said Kionzin. Unbeknownst to him, MOXAL's drone hovered behind a statue that lay to the side of the room.

 _Meanwhile on Jeresh_

On the remote rainforest planet of Jaresh lay a secret Rebel base. Within the base stood Commander Gaidih (a Bothan Rebel commander) who was talking to a hologram of Admiral Ackbar.

"The Imperials are stretching us out" said Ackbar "And with reports of our bases getting taken one-by-one by an unknown attacker. It just makes me worried about the bases that remain"

"I still don't understand" said Gaidih "Are you certain that these bases are being attacked by the same assailant?"

"They all fit the same description, absolute destruction" replied Ackbar "There might be multiple attackers but we do not know currently. With the constant battles at hand, losing bases is a bad sign"

"We'll stay on high alert and we'll inform you if anything happens" said Gaidih.

"Good to know" said Ackbar "I just hope it won't b…o lat…" At that moment, the hologram began to flicker before shutting off entirely.

"Admiral?" asked Gaidih "Admiral, are you there? Check the connection" As rebel engineers ran over and checked the hologram projector, Gaidih lifted a comm-device up to his mouth. "Attention, all personnel present, attention; I regret to announce that we have lost contact with the Rebel fleet"

"Sir, intercom's down as well" said a rebel engineer.

"All communications are out" said another rebel engineer.

"This is bad news" said Gaidih "We have to inform everyone about this quickly, before something bad happens"

 _Meanwhile_

On the outside of the facility, a pair of rebel troopers were staking small boxes when they noticed a large dust storm approaching them.

"What is that?" asked one of the rebel troopers.

"I don't know; but whatever it is, it's coming here fast" replied the other rebel trooper. He lifted a pair of electrobinoculars up to his eyes and looked through them. In the middle of the dust storm was Durge, mounted atop a speeder bike and rushing towards the base at high speed. "Oh shoot!"

"What is it?" asked the other rebel trooper.

"We have to get back, quick!" said the other rebel trooper. As they rushed back inside, Durge swiped up to them and cut both of them down in his path as he sped through the entrance.

"Attacker!" exclaimed a rebel trooper as Durge sped in "Shoot him!" The rebel troopers opened fire on Durge who immediately leapt off his speeder bike, activated his jetpack, and landed in the middle of the rebel troopers, crushing all who stood beneath him. The rebel troopers began shooting at him again, to no effect. He stomped over to one of the troopers and smashed him to the side before pulling out his blaster pistols and shooting down every trooper in his path.

"Retreat!" exclaimed a rebel trooper. The remaining rebel troopers rushed away to the nearest exit; but as they did this, Durge pulled out his blaster rifle. At first he aimed it at them, but then a group of fuel containers that lay next to the entrance caught his eye and he shot at them instead causing them to explode and take out most of the fleeing rebel troopers.

"Keep running!" said a rebel trooper "Hopefully that fire should slow it down"

"What the heck is that thing?!" asked a rebel trooper.

"I have no idea" replied the first rebel trooper "But whatever it is, it's crazy and it's trying to kill us" Suddenly, Durge burst through the flames with his jetpack and landed in front with a loud "thud". The rebel troopers opened fire on him again, only to be swatted away by a powerful flail before being burned alive by his flamethrower.

 _Meanwhile_

"Commander Gaidih, we're under attack!" exclaimed a rebel trooper as he ran up to Gaidih "The docking bay's just been taken out"

"Have you seen the attacker?" asked Gaidih.

"No, but all this commotion isn't a good sign" replied the rebel trooper "We have to do something before—" Suddenly, the door burst open with multiple dead rebel troopers flying through.

"Oh my god!" said Gaidih. Durge stomped through and began shooting down rebels with his blaster pistols. As all of this was happening, Gaidih looked carefully over at the security cameras console. "Keep him busy!" He rushed over to the console and downloaded the recent footage onto a holodisc which he tucked away into his coat. Just as this happened, Durge fired up his fletchettes and shot everyone in the room down. Gaidih (who was merely wounded in the leg) crawled in an attempt to escape but only managed to make it to a corner before Durge stomped up to him and stepped on his leg to keep him still. "Well, at least I finally found out who was behind the attacks" Durge charged up his blaster pistol and pointed it down at his head.

"I love how you inferior lifeforms die!" said Durge just before he shot Gaidih in the face.

 _Meanwhile in the Unknown Regions_

Within the _Admonitor_ there lay a training facility area where various stormtroopers recruits trained within a simulated battle, shooting down holograms of rebel troopers and rebel vehicles while avoiding various obstacles. Thrawn overlooked their progress and examined them carefully. At that moment, Peter Jeraya entered.

"You summoned me, admiral" said Peter.

"I trust your tour of the ship was satisfactory?" asked Thrawn.

"It…It was" replied Peter.

"I apologize for not being there myself" said Thrawn "We received some new recruitments and I knew I had to observe their progress" Peter cautiously walked up next to him to have a look at the stormtrooper training. "It is alright, lieutenant; you have no need to be cautious"

"Um; thank you, sir" said Peter.

"You seem to be quite tense around me" said Thrawn as he turned around to face Peter "I've noticed this since when we first met"

"I'm…I'm sorry, sir…admiral, sir" said Peter "I'm usually more professional than this. It's just…I've had some pretty bad experiences with my former commanders"

"Explain" said Thrawn.

"Well, I've often been punished by my former commanders" said Peter "I've try to follow their orders but there are some I just can't; and whenever I try to find a way around it, they'd scold me or worse. The worst one was Kionzin"

"Grand General Kionzin?" said Thrawn "I've heard of him; he's a dark side adept and received the position of Grand General instantaneously after joining the Imperial army, a position that is better handled if one had worked their way up and earned it"

"He's…He's a psychopath" said Peter "At least with Vader he seems to give you chances; with Kionzin, he gives you no chances"

"I suspect it must be the pressure of command mixed with exclusion from being a Non-Human and it is all intensified by his cybernetics" said Thrawn "Clearly he couldn't handle it and snapped, making him irrational"

"That's not even the half of it" said Peter "One time during a space battle, he sent a squadron of our men on a suicide but he kept them in the dark about it. The captain and two of the officers found out about this and stood up to him, openly stating in front of the rest of us that what he was doing was wrong. And in return he decapitated the three of them and kept their heads on the bridge as a warning, saying that the same would happen to us if we didn't go along with his plans"

"A poor tactical decision" said Thrawn "Tell me, did this "suicide mission" work?"

"No, actually" replied Peter.

"Sending men on suicide missions, especially without their behest, is only necessary in the direst situation in a battle that could turn the tide of the war in the enemies' favor" said Thrawn "Using it any other time will only waste your forces and cause division among your men. And it becomes worse if it accomplices nothing. I can see why you are intimidated. Do not fear, your life will not be taken lightly"

"Um; thank you, sir" said Peter. He looked down at the training room that Thrawn was observing; the simulation had stopped and the stormtrooper recruits were now gathered around Commander Gaplen who appeared to be scolding them.

"I always make time to observe the progress of new recruits, paying attention to their strengths and to their weaknesses" said Thrawn "They will remain in the training facility until I deem them fit enough to go out onto the field"

"Really?" said Peter "I thought it was Imperial protocol for stormtroopers to train as much as they could within a limited timespan so that they could be shipped off to the army quicker"

"That is standard Imperial practice, but it has no place here" said Thrawn "I value quality over quantity, and all those under my command understand its importance" He began moving off into the hallway with Peter following him.

"So what is it you exactly do here?" asked Peter.

"I suppose now is the time for an explanation" said Thrawn "About a year ago shortly after the destruction of the Death Star, the Emperor began to take extreme interest in the Unknown Regions"

"Why's that?" asked Peter as they entered Thrawn's command room "I mean, the war isn't even out here"

"Not yet anyway" replied Thrawn "But there are other things out here" He began looking at the various items that lay on a shelf in front of him. "Long before the start of the Old Republic, the Unknown Regions at the every edge of the galaxy have remained isolated; and the natives have begun to take notice of the larger galaxy, and this has upset the Emperor, especially with a full-scale war going on. He saw a potential threat, one that needed to be answered swiftly; that is why he needed me…" He picked up a badge with a cyan and white symbol that resembled a bubble with electrical currents within it. He looked down upon it intently; and within his almost emotionless eyes, a glimmer of recollection and grief sank in. He then briefly looked over at a model of _Outbound Flight_ that lay on the shelf. "…my people originate from this region, so I know how things work. He gave me resources, power, and freedom to use it how I see fit, enough to form my own branch of the Galactic Empire-the Empire of the Hand. And what we do out here is simple…" He turned around to face Peter. "We unify the worlds of the Unknown Regions under the Empire; and when we cannot, we pacify them. We bring order, but not at the cost of freedom; something most Imperial leaders forgot a long time ago"

"So that's why there's Non-Humans under your command" said Peter.

"Unity is an integral, yet overlooked, aspect of order" said Thrawn "I respect the Emperor for his sense of order, but his rule is far from perfect; his use of manipulating xenophobia is a prime example of such. At first glance, using someone's fear, in this case the fear and disdain of Non-Humans that many Humans possess, seems like a flawless tool; but more often than not, those receiving the hate and oppression end up becoming your enemies. Look at the Wookiees and the Duros, the Empire pushed them continuously for no reason other than establishing some superficial sense of dominance; and now look at them, working with the Alliance to Restore the Republic. If the Empire is to truly unify the galaxy and bring order, they need to understand the importance of accepting all species; a majority of the galaxy's population is Non-Human, it is an unwise decision to show all of them such disrespect for no reason other than to gain influence. The Tarkin Doctrine, legalizing Imperial attacks on civilian targets just to show dominance, is another fault; one that will only rally the people of the galaxy behind the Alliance in the long term. Pressure is needed to maintain order; but to use it constantly like that will only cause defiance. We're going into the unknown here, lieutenant; even after all these years, a large portion of the Unknown Regions remains uncharted. To accomplish this task, I need everyone I can; including you, lieutenant"

"So why did you pick me?" asked Peter "Imperial command doesn't seem to think highly of me"

"That's because they only base their expectations on their own failures that included you; not your potential, not your skills" said Thrawn "I've read your files; you've shown great creativity, never jumping to rash decision and yet never blindly following your superior's orders. We need more men like you in the Empire"

"I think most commanders would think otherwise" said Peter.

"That's because they do not the big picture" said Thrawn "Creativity is the key to conquest; if you have a fixed mindset that always goes for the same tactics and stratagem every single time without change, it only becomes easier for your opponent to figure it out and use it against you. And thus, your greatest strength is reduced to your greatest weakness"

"Still, there's something I'm still wondering" said Peter.

"And what is that, lieutenant?" said Thrawn.

"If you dislike the bad aspects of the Empire so much, why are you helping it?" asked Peter.

"Then allow me to provide you with an answer" replied Thrawn.

"Sir" said a voice. A female Human Imperial officer entered the room. "The leader of Irkalla has replied back and he requests to speak with you personally"

"Very well, then set course for the Irkalla system" said Thrawn "We will continue this conversation later, lieutenant; right now, we politics to adjourn to"

 _Meanwhile_

Kionzin stood before a hologram of a male Kaminoan wearing a pair of cybernetic glasses.

"For now I've managed to stabilize the current specimens" said the Kaminoan "Routine memory wipes are advised to keep them under control, otherwise their minds might become self-aware once more and their actions would become unpredictable"

"Just do your work, Brayrta" said Kionzin "And make sure they are all working properly"

"I will make sure of that" said Dr. Ida Brayrta (the Kaminoan) "I would never mark a creation as complete if it were not"

"Just make sure it they are complete" said Kionzin "If the Emperor won't simply give me what I desire then I'll just have to prove it first" Brayrta nodded and the hologram switched off. At that moment, Sautren entered.

"You summoned me, baron general?" asked Sautren.

"Have the troops been informed?" asked Kionzin.

"Yes, my lord" replied Sautren.

"Then we'll attack at once" said Kionzin.

"A-Attack?!" said Sautren "Now?"

"Yes" said Kionzin "We will attack now before the rebels get a chance to learn of it. You can never be too careful when it comes to Bothan spies"

"Even with the element of surprise, the Imperial Army is too spread to come together so quickly" said Sautren "Surely you should wait until you've gathered enough men. We're not just facing the Rebel Alliance here; the locals of Corellia are going to put up a fight as well. We may be only trying to distract them, but still—"

"We have enough on Cato Neimoidia as it is" said Kionzin as he moved over towards a balcony.

"Enough?" said Sautren "It can hardly be enough" The two of them stepped out onto the balcony which overlooked platforms filled with what appeared to be thousands and millions of stormtroopers.

"It is now!" smirked Kionzin.

"My word!" said Sautren. As he looked across the platforms he noticed various Imperial ground vehicles marching around with various TIE fighters flying overhead and _Acclamator_ -class assault ships being loaded in the background. Kionzin looked down on the

"Before us stands a force great enough to break through Corellia's defenses" said Kionzin "Before us stands what will allow me to extend my reach and take

 _Meanwhile_

The _Rogue Shadow_ descended down onto the planet of Jaresh.

"And that's the last we heard from them" said Ackbar's hologram as Luke and Ahsoka piloted the ship "From all we know, they might just be another victim of the mysterious base attacker"

"So what can you tell us of these attacks, admiral?" asked Ahsoka.

"It all starts with us losing contact with the base itself" replied Ackbar "Then we go to investigate, only to find the base in absolute ruins; everyone's dead, everything's gone, including the security footage meaning we have no idea of who the attacker is"

"We're coming up on the base now, admiral" said Luke. As they descended down to the base, they found it scorched and in ruins with countless dead bodies lying around the area.

"By the Force!" said Ahsoka.

"What is it?" asked Ackbar.

"I'm afraid the base has been attacked" replied Luke "And I don't sense anyone still alive in there. I think we're too late"

"I suppose there was nothing we could do" said Ackbar mournfully "In the past when we've lost contact, we've sent people in to investigate only to find the base in complete ruins"

"We'll have a look inside in case there's anything" said Luke.

"Take care" said Ackbar "If the attacker is still there, he might catch you by surprise"

"Got it, we'll keep an eye out" said Luke. They landed the _Rogue Shadow_ outside the remains of the ruined base and stepped out.

"This place sure is wrecked" said Ahsoka as they walked through the hanger past all the dead bodies.

"Look at all these bodies" said Luke "It looks like none of them knew what hit them. We should check out the command center to see if there's anything there" They stopped in their tracks and looked around. "If the base is anything like Echo Base back on Hoth, the command center should be somewhere in that direction" He pointed over in the direction of a charred doorway.

"Looks like that place wasn't left unscathed" said Ahsoka. The two of them walked down the hallway until they reached the command center, looking around at the charred and smashed up consoles. "This is bad; everyone here is dead as well" Luke looked over at the security camera console which was smashed to pieces.

"The security footage!" exclaimed Luke. He rushed over to it.

"Is there anything that can be salvaged?" asked Ahsoka.

"No, it's all destroyed" replied Luke "Nothing could survive that"

"Hey, over here" said Ahsoka. Luke turned to see her examining the dead body of Gaidih.

"Hey, I've seen him before" said Luke "This is Commander Gaidih, he's involved with the Bothan Spynet. From what I've heard, he was the one in charge of this base"

"Do you think he left something?" asked Ahsoka.

"Only one way to find out" said Luke "We have to search him" Ahsoka began feeling Gaidih's coat for anything.

"Nothing so…" said Ahsoka before coming across something flat and circular in his coat "Wait, I've found something" She pulled out the holodisc. "It looks like a holodisc" Luke quickly pulled out a hologram projector from his belt.

"Here, let's play it" said Luke. Ahsoka inserted the holodisc into the hologram projector and a hologram of the command center came up. Suddenly, the door burst open with multiple dead rebel troopers flying out. As the smoke cleared, Durge came into view.

"Wait, pause!" said Ahsoka. Luke paused the video. "It…It can't be…"

"Durge!" said Luke.

"What's he doing here?" said Ahsoka "I thought we killed him"

"Apparently not enough" said Luke "So he's the one behind the base attacks; that explains the absolute destruction" At that moment, a red drop of liquid dropped down from the ceiling and landed on Ahsoka's shoulder. "What's that?" Ahsoka examined the drop very carefully and sniffed it.

"It smells like…blood" said Ahsoka "And it's fresh" Another drop of blood fell down in front of them. The two of them looked up at the roof to see an absolutely horrifying sight; written on the roof in fresh dripping blood was something in Aurebesh.

"Naboo…" said Luke.

 _Meanwhile on Corellia_

As Mon Mothma sat at her desk with Leia by her side, the Bothan aide entered.

"The Alliance council members have arrived" said the Bothan aide. First to enter was Borsk Fey'lya who walked up to her desk the moment he noticed her.

"So the day has finally arrived to discuss the election in more detail" said Fey'lya "What can I say, except good luck" Following him closely behind entered the other council members; Tendau Bendon of Ithor, Riyo Chuchi of Pantora, Jenssar SoBilles of Duro, Sian Tevv of Sullust, Verrinnefra B'thog Indriummsegh of Elom, and finally Kerriithrarr of Kashyyyk.

"Welcome, every one of you" said Mon Mothma "Please, take a seat" The council members each took a seat in a circle around her desk. "I remember when the Alliance was first formed; there were originally six of us, we came together on this very planet and thus the Rebel Alliance was born. And although two of us are dead and one has left, both the council and the Alliance have grown greater than ever before. I am glad that all of you could make it. I regret to inform that two of us are currently unavailable; Admiral Gial Ackbar is currently fighting battles in the Outer Rim and Jedi Master Rahm Kota is busy developing a new battle stratagem and requested not to be interrupted"

"War commanders and Jedi have no place in politics" said Fey'lya "They should stick to what they're good at and what they're supposed to do, fighting battles"

"Rahm Kota is not just a powerful warrior but a military genius as well" said Leia "I've seen him, his skills are unpatrolled" Mon Mothma closed her eyes and lowered her head.

"My point remains; political affairs should be left to politicians, not fighters" said Fey'lya "Now; without further or do, let's get this discussion started"

 _Meanwhile_

"So Durge is behind all of this" said Ackbar's hologram as the _Rogue Shadow_ flew through hyperspace "I had a feeling we hadn't seen the last of him"

"And we would never have known if Gaidih hadn't created a copy of the recording before Durge found him" said Ahsoka "However, that writing on the roof was a pretty dead giveaway"

"Could you avoid saying "dead" giveaway?" asked Ackbar.

"Sorry" said Ahsoka "But with all the attacks so far leaving no messages of any kind whatsoever until now, I can't help but shake the feeling that Durge wants to be found"

"Going to Naboo is risky" said Ackbar "The planet is completely controlled by the Empire, even if the occupation isn't as severe or possessive as other Imperial planets. If you go there, you have to go in alone; if I send any reinforcements your way, they could be spotted and all would be lost. But I just hope"

"Don't worry, Admiral; the _Rogue Shadow_ can evade detection even from Imperial forces" said Ahsoka "Besides, it's a worthy risk. Think about it, first Vader now Durge; if we can get enough of the Empire's heavy hitters out of the way, we can get closer to winning the war"

"I'm worried that might be wishful thinking" said Ackbar "Good luck, commander" The hologram switched off just as they came out of hyperspace above the planet of Naboo.

"We're back again, Artooie" said Ahsoka. R2 beeped. "I'd better get Luke" She stood up and walked back into the lounge room. Luke sat at a table and was looking at a holographic screen. "Hey Skyguy, we're here" As she got closer to him, she noticed that the screen was displaying information on Gen'dai. "Really fascinated on Durge, aren't you?"

"Ever since Jabba's palace, I've been studying Durge's species, the Gen'Dai, to get a good idea of how to beat him if we ever met him again" said Luke.

"Since he somehow survived being shoved into a sun, I think we can both agree that he's hard to kill" said Ahsoka.

"Yes, and I think I got a good idea of how he did it" said Luke. He stood up and walked over to the cockpit. "Anything you can tell me?"

"I never actually encountered Durge back in the Clone Wars, all I ever knew about him was what Obi-Wan and Anakin told me" said Ahsoka. The two of them sat down at the cockpit and descended down to the planet. "The planet's under Imperial control so we'd better land in the swamps to avoid detection" They flew down towards the Lianorm Swamp and landed in a small clearing. The two of them stepped out and looked around at the terrain around them.

"We'd better get a good idea of where Durge might be, otherwise we'll just be wandering aimlessly" said Luke "Any ideas?"

"With no Rebel bases on this planet, our next best guess is one of the cities" replied Ahsoka "Remember, Durge wants to be found; otherwise he wouldn't have left us that clue in the first place. We'll try Theed"

"Good idea" said Luke "R2, with us" R2 beeped and came down the loading ramp. "PROXY, stay with the ship and guard it"

"Understood, Master" said PROXY.

"Time for a stroll in the swamp" said Luke. He, Ahsoka, and R2 walked off into the swamp.

 _Meanwhile_

As the _Executor_ and several other Imperial star destroyers came out of hyperspace above Corellia, Ozzel slowly walked up to Kionzin.

"We have arrived at Corellia and are deploying our ships now" said Ozzel "What is the battle plan?"

"Simple" replied Kionzin "Throw everything you have at the rebels and don't hold back"

"Is…Is that it?" asked Ozzel.

"Yes" replied Kionzin "Remember; we do not need to beat the rebels here, we only need to delay them. It's the rebel leaders that are our target"

"But sir, that's not a strategy" said Ozzel "And it is certainly not a strategy Lord Vader would—" Kionzin lashed around, whipped Ozzel off his feet with his tail, and placed his foot against his face, slowing pushing him into the ground.

"Is Lord Vader here?" said Kionzin.

"What?!" exclaimed Ozzel. Kionzin pushed harder.

"Is Vader here!?" snarled Kionzin.

"NO!" exclaimed Ozzel. Kionzin released him and pushed him off.

"Exactly; and while he's not here, Grand Generals are in charge" said Kionzin "And I'm the only one here; so obey my commands and you won't end up a causality of this battle. Now if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend" He exited the bridge.

 _Meanwhile_

Kota stood in front of a strategy table with several rebel commanders and a hologram of General Rieekan by his side. In front of them was a hologram of various planets with designations on their current allegiance.

"There doesn't seem to be any logic to their movements, it's just random attacks on various worlds" said Kota "Nothing strategic, nothing of particular value"

"They could be just trying to extend their reach" said Rieekan.

"Maybe, but there's something that doesn't feel right about this" said Kota "it's almost like…"

"Almost like what?" asked Rieekan. Kota didn't reply. "General Kota, what is it?" Kota quickly turned around, force-gripped the blinds, and pulled it up, revealing countless TIE fighters swooping down alongside _Acclamator_ ships and Imperial dropship transports. "What is it?"

"Corellia's under attack!" exclaimed Kota "The Empire was keeping us preoccupied this whole time!"

"They're attacking…" said Rieekan "Wait a second, why now? We've been spread out for weeks, why attack now" Kota thought for a moment before realizing something.

"The leaders!" exclaimed Kota "They're after the Alliance leaders! Commander, get your to defend the city; I'll handle the Alliance leaders" He rushed out of the room and out into the streets. "K'Kruhk, Maris, Chelaa; can you hear me?"

"Affirmative, Master Kota" replied K'Kruhk out of his comlink "What is it?"

"The city is under attack by the Empire" replied Kota.

"I know" said K'Kruhk.

 _Meanwhile_

K'Kruhk leapt back and deflected the blaster bolts of stormtroopers with his lightsaber.

"We're right in the middle of it now" said K'Kruhk into his comlink "Surprisingly, they seem to actually be rather careless with their attacks; they're just throwing their forces at us blindly rather than using an actual strategy or going in different waves"

"I believe their prime target to be the Alliance leaders, that's why the Empire decided to attack today" said Kota out of his comlink "They're gathered at Mon Mothma's office in deep discussion"

"We have to get to them before the Imperials do" said K'Kruhk.

"Agreed; I'm on my way there now, and I suggest you do the same" said Kota.

"We'll be there as fast as we can" said K'Kruhk. He turned to Maris and Chelaa who were busy fighting off stormtroopers. "C'mon, this way" The three of them ran off.

 _Meanwhile_

As Kota sprinted as fast as he could across the madness of the battlefield, he lifted his comlink up to his mouth again.

"Rahm Kota to Mon Mothma, the Empire is attacking the city" said Kota into her comlink.

"I can see it" said Mon Mothma out of his comlink "The discussion's been cut short because of it. Our building's out of the way at the moment but I don't think it'll be much longer"

"Stay put and stay out of sight" said Kota "Get any available honor guards stationed in the building to keep a look out. I'm coming to get you, K'Kruhk and the others are also on their way; but if the Imperials get there before we do, run and don't look back"

"Understood" said Mon Mothma. Suddenly, Kota suddenly found himself skidding to a stop as several dark troopers landed in front of him and raised their weapons towards him. They were soon joined by a garrison of AT-STs and AT-MPs.

"Halt!" said one of the dark troopers.

"I'm afraid that's not an option" said Kota before striking forward.

 _Meanwhile_

Luke, Ahsoka, and R2 wandered through the vast swamps when Luke heard something rustle in the bushes behind them.

"We're being followed" said Luke.

"Yeah, I noticed that too" said Ahsoka.

"It could be an Imperial patrol or something" said Luke.

"Let's just stay on guard for now" said Ahsoka "If it's an Imperial patrol, we'll know before it reaches us.

"Agreed" said Luke. Suddenly, out of the bushes sprang several Gungans, pointing their weapons threateningly at them.

"Nice timing as always" said Ahsoka.

"It's a gift" said Luke.

"Hold it!" said the Gungan captain "Who are yousa?"

"Us?" said Luke "Oh, we're just travelers. We mean you no harm and we'd appreciate it if you—"

"Captain, looky at these on their belts!" said a Gungan as he and another grabbed the lightsabers off Luke and Ahsoka's belts and handed them to the Gungan captain.

"Hmmm?" said the Gungan captain "Yousa Jedi!"

"What!" said Luke "No! We're—"

"Enough!" said the Gungan captain. The other Gungans raised their weapons towards them again. "Wesa take you to the Boss. Hesa know what to do. Come" The Gungans lead Luke, Ahsoka, and R2 deep into the swamp. R2 beeped.

"Yep; you said it, little buddy" said Ahsoka.

"Let's just go along with it" said Luke "Maybe this "Boss" will be more reasonable"

 _Meanwhile_

K'Kruhk, Maris, and Chelaa rushed along the battlefield towards Mon Mothma's building.

"We're getting close, I can see the building" said K'Kruhk. At that moment, a group of Imperial jumptroopers appeared above them and flew after them.

"Keep your distance" said the jumptrooper commander "Let's go in for the kill" They began to open fire on them.

"Guys, watch out!" exclaimed Maris as she force-pushed K'Kruhk and Chelaa forward and ignited her lightsabers, using them to deflect the shots at her. K'Kruhk and Chelaa soon joined in with her and began reflecting shots back at the jumptroopers.

"We can take them!" said Chelaa in an almost aggressive tone.

"We need to stay focused; Mon Mothma and the other rebel leaders are our prime priority" said K'Kruhk "We should get back to work" At that moment, a large mobile heavy cannon stomped up to them.

"This is just not good" said Maris.

"Maris, go to the building as fast as you can" said K'Kruhk "We'll handle this"

"But it's too—" said Maris.

"Maris, go!" said K'Kruhk "We cannot allow the Empire to capture Mon Mothma and the others!"

"Got it!" said Maris before turning her lightsabers off and sprinting away.

"Not so tough are you now, Jedi" smirked one of the jumptroopers.

"Oh, we're just getting started!" said Chelaa.

 _Meanwhile_

Various schools of fish scattered of the way as a Gungan bongo submarine shot through them and swam towards the underwater city of Otoh Gunga.

"This is amazing" said Ahsoka "I've only ever heard of the underwater cities of Naboo"

"Growing up on Tatooine, I never thought I'd see a lake let alone swim through one in a submarine" said Luke. They swam into a docking bay and got out of the submarine.

"Disa way" said the Gungan captain whilst gesturing over to them. They walked out into a large dome filled with Gungan civilians and made their way through it, passing by a memorial statue of Captain Tarpals in the process. At that moment, two Gungans mounted on kaadu walked up to them.

"Captain Yuldirr, who are these yousa are escorting?" asked one of the Gungans.

"Mesa found these duey in dha swamps" replied Yuldirr (the Gungan captain) "Mesa have taken them-sa besa judged by dha Boss" The two Gungans looked at him before turning these gaze to Luke and Ahsoka before turning their gaze back to him again.

"Follow us" said the other Gungan. They turned and lead them over to the council's dome where the Gungan councilmen sat.

"Captain Yuldirr, what is it?" asked Boss Rugor Nass who sat high atop his platform "Yousa are supposed besa still on patrol"

"Boss Nass, mesa found these duey wander dha swamp with their machineek" said Yuldirr.

"Interlopers" said Nass "Begone with them-sa! Get them-sa out of mesa sight!"

"Wait!" said Yuldirr as the Gungan guards moved to remove Luke and Ahsoka "Desa are not normal interlopers. Looky…" He pulled out Luke's lightsaber. "Desa are Jedi!" Chattering began amongst the councilmen.

"Jedi?" said Nass as he scratched his chin "But how; dha Empire destroyed dha Jedi?"

"Some of us survived" said Luke "Not a lot, but still some. My name is Luke Skywalker, Jedi of the Rebel Alliance. This is my partner Ahsoka Tano and our droid R2-D2"

"What have yousa comin hair for?" asked Nass.

"Great Boss Nass, I have not come to fight" said Luke "Me and my associates here have come only to perform a task and get out of here"

"And what would disa task include?" asked Nass.

"We believe a dangerous bounty hunter is on this planet" replied Luke "He's killed many people; and if we let him slip through our fingers again, he'll kill many more. Please, we have find him fast; for all we know, he might be threatening the Naboo"

"HA!" said Nass "Dha Naboo…dha Naboo…Mesa lost respect for the Naboo a longo time ago"

"But you're both inhabitants of this planet" said Luke "You can't just let a killer run wild like this"

"For a time, mesa came to trust dha Naboo and some mutual respect formed between us" said Nass "But when dha Empire arrived, wesa were banished from dha surface; and when wesa objected, desa used deadly force against us. Now wesa noth but second-class citizens, confined to our cities and only just allowed to wander dha swamps; and even then, dha stormtroopers hunt us for sport"

"That is the Imperials' actions, not the Naboo" said Luke "You cannot hold them responsible for it"

"Oh yeah; then tell mesa, where were dha Naboo when all disa happened?" said Nass "Where were dha Naboo when wesa were banished? Where were dha Naboo when dha Empire hunted us neb like animals? Desa do noth! Noth! So mui for equals!"

"The Naboo did nothing because they're afraid" said Luke "The Empire is a powerful force that looms over us all"

"Desa still did noth" said Nass "As far as mesa concerned, desa are as mui responsible for what happened to us as dha Empire"

"If you let this bounty hunter run rampant, you're as much responsible for the deaths he causes as he is" said Luke.

"Then mesa leave dha Naboo to dha same mercy desa left mesa" said Nass "Mesa stance remains, mesa will not do anyth about dis bounty hunter unless hesa threatens mesa people directly; and noth yousa can spake or do will change mesa mind, Jedi" Luke looked back at Ahsoka and R2 and sighed.

"Alright then" said Luke "If you will not help the Naboo, then could you at least let me and my companions go"

"And why should mesa?" asked Nass "How am mesa supposed to know mesa won't regret it?"

"What am I to gain by turning on you?" replied Luke "I'm a Jedi, public enemy number one of the Empire; the moment they see me, their first instinct will be to kill me on sight. All I ask is to be dropped off at Theed, preferably somewhere away from the Empire's sight, and afterwards we won't ever bother you again. You have my word as a Jedi" As the Gungan councilmen looked cautiously amongst each other, Nass shook his head and lips.

"Captain Yuldirr, take these duey Jedi and their machineek to Theed" said Nass.

"Yesa, Boss" said Yuldirr whilst bowing his head.

"Thank you, your honor" said Luke.

"Mesa hold yous word, Jedi" said Nass "Yousa will leave and yousa will not return and if yousa do, wesa will be forced to kill yousa. Mesa have had enough of Hisens"

 _Meanwhile_

As the mobile heavy cannon fired downwards, Chelaa leapt up onto a jumptrooper and then off onto the mobile heavy cannon (just out of the reach of its weapons), throwing her lightsaber through the jumptrooper in the process before slashing off one of the antipersonnel cannons in the process. She looked down and saw K'Kruhk fighting the last few jumptroopers.

"Master, up here!" said Chelaa. K'Kruhk looked up to see Chelaa before leaping up to her, slashing away the jumptroopers in the process and landing on top of the main cannon. "Good, that's all of them gone; now we can focus on this thing before" At that moment, the mobile heavy cannon stopped. "What was that?"

"They're stopping so they can find us" said K'Kruhk "We're out of sight so it should take a while"

"Then let's take the opportunity to bring it down" said Chelaa "What should we do?" K'Kruhk looked down at the legs of the walker.

"The legs, they're a walker's weakness" said K'Kruhk "They cannot stand without them, so we'll have to remove them" The two of them slid down underneath the walker and ignited their lightsaber. "If we cut off the legs in the right positions, we'll be able to take it down" He began slashing at the back left leg whilst Chelaa began hacking away at the front right leg. After they successfully cut off their respective legs, they found that the vehicle began moving again (albeit more unevenly).

"What's happening?" asked Chelaa.

"They cannot see us so they're moving on" replied K'Kruhk "We should take the opportunity while we still have it; if we can cut off at least another leg, it should be enough to collapse the walker" The two of them swung over towards the right middle leg and began hacking away at it until it began to wobble around clumsily on its remaining. "Quickly!" The two of them leapt out of the way just in time before the enormous walker collapsed and was crushed within its own weight on the ground. As the two Jedi got themselves up, they heard a slow clapping coming from behind them.

"Well done, Jedi" said a voice. K'Kruhk and Chelaa turned around to see Kionzin standing atop a large pole that overlooked them.

"Kionzin!" said K'Kruhk whilst he and Chelaa ignited their lightsabers.

"I could sense a Jedi presence on this planet" said Kionzin as he squatted down "I am so glad that it was you, K'Kruhk; you know, I'm sensing some bad blood within you"

"We don't have time for this" said K'Kruhk "We should get going" At that moment, Kionzin leapt down and landed in front of them.

"Get out of our way, lizard" said Chelaa.

"It's not that simple" said Kionzin "You see, little one; I could have simply killed you the moment you arrived and right now I'd be battling it out with your former master. However...I won't. As a predator, I like to play little games with my prey before I gut them; I like to give them the illusion of hope, give them a sense of relief, make them feel like they have a chance of getting away before I silence them. It makes the look upon their eyes, that last, desperate, final light, all the more satisfying"

"Do you really think we'll play along with your little games?" asked K'Kruhk.

"I expect you to" replied Kionzin "Because the alternative is dying immediately" He reached his hands behind his back, pulled out a pair of lightsabers, and ignited them; in his cybernetic right hand he held the Jedi temple guard lightsaber pike he used on Dorin whilst in his left hand he held a lightsaber shoto with an orange blade. "Let's start!" Using his cybernetic hand, he spun his lightsaber pike like a shield whilst he handled his shoto almost like a lance. He sprinted forward towards K'Kruhk and Chelaa who met both ends of his pike. Suddenly, he struck his shoto forward only for K'Kruhk and Chelaa to leapt out of the way just in time. Kionzin then charged forward, spinning both his lightsabers around in a crazed and psychotic manor before K'Kruhk and Chelaa charged at him again from both sides. K'Kruhk met his lightsaber pike and Chelaa met his shoto.

"You're style is unbalanced, deranged" said K'Kruhk "You're unhinged"

"You say that as if it's a weakness" said Kionzin with a sadistic smirk. Suddenly, he whipped his tail around; just missing K'Kruhk who saw it and leapt and knocking Chelaa straight off her feet before force-gripping her and slamming her face-first into the ground. "You're mine!" He turned towards Chelaa and struck both his lightsabers down at her. Suddenly, K'Kruhk leapt in front of him and blocked his blades with his.

"Don't you dare!" said K'Kruhk.

"Hit a sore spot, have I?" smirked Kionzin.

 _Meanwhile_

The bongo submarine swam through the water and submerged in a river within Theed, frightening away a flock of pelikki in the process.

"Hair wesa are" said Yuldirr. Luke stood up and looked around at the serene cityscape that surrounded them.

"Woah!" said Luke. Although he had seen pictures of Naboo in the past, seeing the city of Theed in person was still magnificent; the large domed buildings colored green and sandy-yellow shone in the sunlight and the various canals that lead out into waterfalls instantly took his eyes. And yet, at the same time, he could feel something else fulfilling him.

"Unless yousa want besa shot on sight, mesa recommend yousa hop off now" said Yuldirr.

"Oh, sorry" said Luke. He and Ahsoka leapt off the bongo and onto a nearby ledge and R2 hovered off.

"Thank you" said Ahsoka "We really appreciate the help"

"Mesa apologies dat wesa could not have been more helpful" said Yuldirr "Isa true dat our problems lie with dha Empire above all else and Boss Nass knows disa well; but hesa trusted the Naboo, and isa berry hard for him to forgive. Good luck with dha bounty hunter. Mesa just hope after yous war is over, dalee is some way our kind and dha Naboo can reconcile and maken amends" The bongo went down in the water and disappeared again. As Ahsoka turned around, she noticed that Luke was staring off into the distance.

"Well, Skyguy; welcome to Theed, capital of Naboo" said Ahsoka. Luke didn't respond. "You know, I think I visited this planet about three times during the Clone Wars. Good people; very proper, very—"

"Déjà vu" said Luke.

"Excuse me?" said Ahsoka.

"Ever since we arrived on this planet, I could feel something; something familiar" said Luke "But now I'm filled with the feeling of déjà vu. The various planets we've visited for the past few months have all felt strange and unbelievable, especially since all I ever knew growing up on Tatooine was deserts. But this place…it feels like home, even when it isn't. It feels like I've been here before and I have no idea why" Thoughts began to fill Ahsoka's head, and new lights and revelations were beginning to dawn.

"I might know why" said Ahsoka under her breath as she looked at Luke up and down.

 _Meanwhile_

"You still have some real fight in you" said Kionzin as he and K'Kruhk clashed violently "I like that…It makes me what to skin you more! And after I'm done, I'll be turning my sights to the Twi'lek; I wonder if she'll be fun to rip apart as…certain others that I've tortured" He began clashing his blades more and more violently in a deranged and psychotic manner.

"The Force flows through us all, except you" said K'Kruhk "Your connection to the Force is warped, tainted; I know that you've been cut off from the Force for a long time, but what happened to you that would cause this to your connection upon regaining it?"

"Whatever it is, it gives me strength!" snarled Kionzin "More strength than ever before!"

"Whatever it is, I fear it has only furthered the erosion of your mind" said K'Kruhk.

"Feeling sympathetic?" smirked Kionzin.

"Not at all" replied K'Kruhk "But it's clear that you've become a danger to everyone, including yourself" Kionzin let out an ear-splitting maniacal laugh.

"Oh, I am a danger to everyone" said Kionzin "And right now I'm a danger to you!" They clashed more and more intensely until a TIE fighter flew above them followed shortly by an X-Wing which shot at it rapidly. One of the blasts hit the ground near them and sent both of them flying away from each other. As K'Kruhk began to get himself up, Kionzin looked down at a large crack in the ground below him that appeared to have been formed from the X-Wing shot. He grinned sadistically before pulling a thermal detonator from his belt, shoving it into the crack, and leaping back before it blew up, causing the part of the ground K'Kruhk was on to crumble off and disappear into the abyss below before he could even react. Kionzin then looked at a large chunk of debris that hung precariously over the abyss and threw his shoto at it, causing it crumble off and cover up the abyss. "Such a pity it had to end like this, K'Kruhk. If I had my way, I would have made it slow and precise!"

"You monster!" snapped Chelaa as she charged at Kionzin and began clashing with him "You will pay for this!"

"You seem strangely brash and impulsive" said Kionzin "Do I detect a great deal of suppressed anger boiling out?"

"Shut up!" snapped Chelaa.

"It's such a pity things turned out the way they did" said Kionzin "I was looking forward to savoring my battle with K'Kruhk and I was especially looking forward to make him suffer more. I guess I'll just have to make the most I can out of you"

"You really want the most?!" snapped Chelaa. She pulled out another lightsaber, ignited its green blade, and began clashing even harder.

"Now this is more like it!" snarled Kionzin "Give me all you've got, little one!"

"With pleasure!" smirked Chelaa. As they clashed harder and harder, Chelaa began to corner Kionzin towards an edge. "I've got you!"

"Really?" smirked Kionzin "Ha! Then why don't you finish it then?"

"With pleasure!" said Chelaa. As she charged at Kionzin, the large Sarkan leapt up, landed on her shoulders, and threw her over the edge, force-pushing her away in the process. She landed on a pile of debris and was about to bring herself up when she felt a tremendous pain in her ribs and held her side. Suddenly, Kionzin leapt down, landed in front of her, grabbed her by the throat, and held her up by his cybernetic hand.

"Hardly a challenge!" said Kionzin.

"I'm only just getting started!" said Chelaa as she grabbed onto the cybernetic hand and squeezed hard.

"No, you haven't" said Kionzin. He threw her to the side into a wall and walked over to her, subtlety pulling his shiv out in the process. "I couldn't help but notice that your grip is surprisingly strong for a young Twi'lek. There's something else about you" He grabbed her by the wrist, held her hand to wall, and stabbed the palm with his shiv.

"AHHH!" screamed Chelaa in pain.

"As I thought, prosthetic hands" said Kionzin "That's good…because it means I can cause as much pain to you as I want"

"If this is some kind of interrogation, I won't talk!" said Chelaa.

"Interrogation?" said Kionzin "Oh, this is no interrogation; this is merely…enjoyment" He twisted his shiv within Chelaa's palm which caused her to hiss out in pain. "And right now…" He grabbed her by her other wrist and pinned it to the wall with his hand. "We have only scratched the surface…" He licked across her face with his vile lizard tongue.

 _Meanwhile_

As Maris rushed across the battlefield, she suddenly stopped when a speeder bike mounted by a scout trooper zoomed past her.

"Woah!" exclaimed Maris. He was followed by two rebel troopers on speeder bikes. "What is this?!"

"A bunch of scout troopers have entered the area and are performing hit-and-run attacks" said a rebel trooper standing by his speeder bike "We're trying to cut them off" Maris looked up and down the speeder bike and then over at Mon Mothma's building.

"Say, is it okay if I borrow that?" asked Maris.

"Borrow…What, borrow the speeder bike in the middle of a battle?" replied the rebel trooper. Maris sighed and force-pushed him out of the way before mounting the speeder bike and zooming. "Hey!"

"If it's any consolation, I'll bring it back if it's still in one piece" said Maris.

 _Meanwhile above Irkalla_

The _Admonitor_ and the rest of Thrawn's fleet came out of hyperspace above the planet of Irkalla.

"Here we are, lieutenant" said Thrawn "Follow me to my shuttle"

"So who's coming down with us?" asked Peter.

"A platoon of troops" replied Thrawn.

"That's it?" asked Peter "Just one platoon?"

"To answer your question before you reach its conclusion, my army is currently preparing itself for a full-scale attack" said Thrawn "The only thing preventing them is the absence my order. The inhabitants' leader has so far proven himself to be reasonable and cooperative, so for now we'll rely upon politics; but if he proves to be a liability to the point he endangers our progress of operations, then we'll be prepared for the worst"

 _Meanwhile_

Luke, Ahsoka, and R2 snuck through the streets of Theed. Just as Luke was about to rush across a street, Ahsoka pulled him back by the collar just before two stormtroopers walked past.

"Better be careful here, Skyguy" said Ahsoka quietly "If even one of those troopers catches a glimpse of us, they'll send an entire garrison down to investigate"

"And that's the last thing we need" said Luke.

"What are we even doing here?" said Ahsoka "We don't even know where he is exactly and we've just placed ourselves in the middle of an Imperial controlled planet"

"We have to stop Durge, not matter what" said Luke "But you're right, we've no real leads on where to find him. Let's just hope we find something before the Imps find us"

"Good luck with that" said a voice from behind them which caused Luke and Ahsoka to almost jump. A Human woman with light skin, brown eyes, brown hair, and dressed in a pearl-colored dress stepped out from behind them.

"Where did you come from?" asked Ahsoka.

"From behind you, that's where" replied the woman "I know my way around Theed well" She looked down at the lightsabers on their belts. "I take from what you wear on your belts and the fact you're trying to avoid stormtroopers you two are not friends with the Empire. Come with me"

"Hold on, why should we trust you" said Luke "We've only just met and—"

"If I wanted to turn you in, there would be stormtroopers right here right now ready to take you down" said the woman "Don't worry, Theed is filled with friends of the Rebellion; and I'm one of them. Come quick, the patrols get more and more detailed as the day goes on; and you don't want to get caught in the middle of it. Come on, I'll explain on the way" She turned and started walking into the doorway with the three of them following her. They reached a room with a large carpet and no other way out.

"So, this is where you wanted to take us?" asked Luke. The woman lifted up the carpet to reveal a trap door beneath which she opened up.

"Down here" said the woman "Do not worry, the path is not long" She entered the trapdoor.

"Okay; if I wasn't worrying before, I'm starting to now" said Ahsoka.

"Let's just see where she takes us" said Luke "But we'll have to keep our heads up"

 _Meanwhile_

Maris zoomed up the building, demounted her speeder bike, force-pushed the doors open, sprinted through the hallways, and leapt up the stairs

"I'm here!" said Maris "Let's—" It was at that moment she noticed a horrifying sight in front of her; on the floor in front of her lay the bodies of several dead honor guards and right in front of her was an unconscious Leia, her blaster only a few inches away from her hands. The other rebel leaders were surrounded by a group of stormtroopers who turned around to face her and pointed their blasters at her.

"Freeze!" said a stormtrooper commander. Maris ignited her lightsaber tonfas.

"Let them go!" said Maris as she pointed her lightsabers at them "Or you'll regret this!"

"Brood, behind you!" exclaimed Chuchi. Before Maris could even react, something large and powerful rammed into her and sent her flying out a window. As she plummeted down, she got one last clear view of the building and saw an angered and stern-looking Nyugo staring down at her from above.


	5. Fire Across the Galaxy part 5

**Author's note** : I'm really, really sorry that this chapter took months to finish; I got sidetracked by a lot of things in my life and I was struck by writer's block (and considering that I had a lot to add and to wrap up, it really came at a bad time). I just hope I was able to come through in the end. Enjoy!

 **Fire Across the Galaxy part 5: The Return**

 _Fire across the galaxy! The Emperor has sent Grand General Kionzin to attack the planet of Corellia in an attempt to capture the Rebel leaders! As the Alliance fought back, the Empire set their sights for Mon Mothma's office; and with Rahm Kota occupied by dark troopers and K'Kruhk and Chelaa Secura incapacitated by Kionzin, Maris Brood is left to rescue the leaders. But as soon as she arrived, she was taken out by Kionzin's new slave—Drokon Nyugo!_

 _Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano have travelled to the planet of Naboo in hopes of finding the Gen'Dai bounty hunter Durge who has been destroying rebel bases and has now left a message for them. With some help from the native Gungans, the Jedi were able to sneak into the capital city of Theed; but now they find themselves surrounded by Imperial forces. However, a mysterious woman has appeared from the shadows and is now leading them through an underground passageway. With everything on the line, can the Alliance stand…_

 _Naboo_

The woman held a lit lantern as she led Luke, Ahsoka, and R2 through the tunnel.

"So how far are we from…from where you're taking us?" asked Ahsoka.

"Not far" replied the woman "We're reaching the end of it now"

"So; I hope you don't mind me asking but…who are you?" asked Luke.

"My name is Pooja Naberrie" replied the woman "I was the senator of Naboo in the Imperial Senate before it was dissolved. Don't worry, I'm a rebel sympathizer; I just don't get the chance to be more outspoken because of the consequences that come with it"

"And we're supposed to take your word for it?" said Ahsoka "Someone we've only just met on an Imperial planet"

"I know how it must look, but don't let appearances fool you" said Pooja "Naboo favors the Alliance; we just can't do much about our alignment. This is the Emperor's homeplanet; when he took over, he made sure that Naboo remained within his control. This caused some major disagreements with Queen Apailana, the current Queen of Naboo at the time, and they eventually led to her taking serious military action. Unfortunately, the Empire found it out and assassinated her; they then replaced her with a new queen. Queen Kylantha dislikes the Empire as well; but she's learned to keep her mouth shut, or else end up like her predecessor"

"Naboo's strength was always the will of the people" said Ahsoka "You're a democracy, you can't just—"

"The will of the people is broken" said Pooja "The Emperor realized that and made sure of it. Believe me, I dream of a day when Naboo regains the strength to fight back; but until then, staying subtle and silent is the best solution" At that moment, they reached a dead end. "And on that note, we've finally reached our destination" She pulled down a trapdoor and brought them up into what appeared to be a pantry which they exited out of into a hallway. "Eckar, I've brought visitors"

"Visitors?" said a voice "Sorry, Pooja; but the tavern's closed. You'll have to bring them here another time"

"They're not here to be customers, Eckar" said Pooja "They're…in need of help"

"Help?" said Eckar "What with?" The hallway brought them into a tavern area filled with paintings and tables with a fireplace at the back. Eckar stood behind the bar while drying off a mug with a washcloth. He was a dark-skinned Human man with brown eyes, black hair, and wore a crimson outfit.

"I think when you take a good look at them, you'll see why" replied Pooja.

"What are you…" said Eckar before noticing the lightsabers on their belts "Wait, those are lightsabers!"

"Don't worry, they're Jedi" said Pooja.

"You say that as if it makes it better" said Eckar "Jedi? And I thought they were all gone; from what I heard, the Empire was very thorough"

"Not thorough enough" said Ahsoka

"Did anyone spot you out in the streets?" asked Eckar.

"No, we attracted no attention" replied Luke.

"You'd better hope so, because the last thing we need is the Empire tearing us apart" said Eckar.

"Eckar, they're our guests" said Pooja.

"Sorry about that, Pooja; but you know how I get about these risky situations" said Eckar "There's only so many times we can get away with stuff like this before the Empire manages to find out"

"Your concern is noted" said Pooja "You two, meet Eckar Kerdun; he runs the tavern we're within"

"My name is Luke Skywalker" said Luke "This is my partner, Ahsoka Tano, and my droid, R2-D2"

"Pleased to meet you" said Ahsoka as R2-D2 beeped. Pooja smiled when she looked at R2.

"So what are you three doing here in Theed?" asked Eckar "This is one of the most dangerous places a Jedi could possibly be"

"We're here looking for a bounty hunter who's been destroying Rebel Alliance bases" replied Luke "We've got a lead that makes us believe he's here on Naboo"

"Well, you've come to the wrong place" said Eckar "No bounty hunters here, their presence causes commotion amongst civilians; even the Emperor doesn't like that kind of trouble on his homeworld"

"We believe he's working with the Empire; so for all we know, they might be sheltering him" said Ahsoka.

"Well…I suppose that is possible" said Eckar.

"Whatever the case is, it doesn't matter" said Pooja "We're getting you off this planet as soon as we can"

"What, why!?" asked Ahsoka.

"For your protection, of course" said Pooja "You know what the Empire will do to you if they catch you. Plus; if the Emperor believes that we're hiding Jedi on Naboo, he'll only make things worse"

"But the bounty hunter—" said Ahsoka.

"It's not worth it" said Pooja "Every second you spend here, you risk the Empire discovering you"

"Wait a second; if your intention was to get us out of here, why bring us all the way here?" asked Luke.

"Were you expecting to just walk out of the main gate?" replied Pooja "There's a reason we had to get back here first"

"Several years ago when I first bought this pub, I found out it had a little secret" said Eckar as he walked out of the bar "I trust you come in through a tunnel?"

"Yeah" replied Luke.

"That's just one of many" said Eckar "A few years ago when I first bought this tavern, the previous owner let me on a little secret; this place has access to a vast network of tunnels running beneath Theed, each leading to a different location"

"So…we can essentially go anywhere in the city?" asked Ahsoka.

"Providing we have access to it" replied Eckar.

"Including getting you out of here" said Pooja.

"Then what's preventing you from sending us off now?" asked Luke.

"Because the guard patrols vary from day to day, making them unpredictable" replied Pooja "If we send you out now, we might just be walking into the most enemy populated area of the city at the moment"

"Then what are we supposed to do then?" asked Ahsoka "After careful deliberation, we blindly pick one to go down and hope it's the right one?"

"Simple" replied Pooja "The patrols may vary from day-to-day, but there's still a pattern. After lots of observing, we discovered that the pattern repeats starting midday; so whenever we made planned to use the tunnels, we make sure we understand the patrol pattern first"

"Wait; if you have to wait to find out how the patrols work, then how were you able to find us?" asked Ahsoka.

"I was in the area at the time when I spotted you; and because of the tunnels, I was familiar enough with Theed to remember the nearest tunnel entrance" replied Pooja "It was all a matter of chance, and we'll need more than that if we're going to get you out safely"

"Say what you will, but we're not leaving just yet" said Luke. Pooja sighed.

"I guess there's no convincing a Jedi once they've made their mind up" said Pooja "Listen; right now, a friend of ours is out there keeping track of the patrol's movements and pattern. Until then, feel free to relax within the confines of the tavern; but once he comes back at midday, he'll have what we need. Then we're out of here, whether you like it or not"

 _Meanwhile on Corellia_

Kota leapt onto the back of a dark trooper and decapitated it with slight difficulty before stabbing it through the back and leaping off. As he looked around, he noticed that there was still a considerable amount of dark troopers and Imperial vehicles left.

"Hey Kota, you busy?" asked a voice from his comlink.

"Rendar, is that you?" asked Kota into his comlink.

"You would you expect?" replied the voice "Finally got the ship working; and guess what, Leebo and I couldn't help but notice that you're in some kind of a mess at the moment. Care for some assistance and possibly a pick up?"

"That would be most appreciated" said Kota.

"Alright then" said the voice "We're on our way; but there might be a little inconvenience on getting over there, what with all those Imperials filling the skies and all"

"Are you saying you can't do it?" said Kota.

"Never said that" smirked the voice. At that moment, the remaining AT-MPs released their missiles at Kota who force-gripped each of them to hold them off. As he began to feel himself losing his grip, he ducked down and let go of the missiles which shot off into debris behind him.

"Get him!" said a dark trooper. The remaining Imperial forces began to surround and corner him.

"Hey Kota" said the voice.

"What is this time and can it wait?" asked Kota.

"You may wanna' duck down" replied the voice. Kota turned around to see that a YT-2400 light freighter had flown up and was hovering just behind him. As soon as the cannons lit up, Kota ducked down and let the ship take out the remaining Imperial forces. When the last dark trooper fell, the ship's loading ramp lowered to reveal a Human man with red hair, light skin, green eyes, and wearing a pair of brown shoulder pads.

"You could have been a little more subtle" said Kota.

"Eh, not exactly my style" smirked the man. Kota leapt forward and landed on the ramp. "So where to next?"

"Mon Mothma's office, and hurry" said Kota

 _Meanwhile on Irkalla_

Thrawn's shuttle slowly descended down towards a village on the barren landscape and landed just at its entrance. As the shuttle's ramp lowered down, Thrawn stepped out followed closely behind by Peter with a platoon of stormtroopers marching behind them. As they walked over to the entrance, two Triffian guards stood in their way and blocked the entrance with their pikes.

"Stand down" said Thrawn in Triffian language "I have come to negotiate with your leader" The guards looked at each other before parting to let them through.

"You know their language" said Peter.

"When you travel the galaxy, it becomes essential to understand multiple forms of communication" said Thrawn "It also means you are not dependent upon a translator droid for aid" As they walked through the village, they found more and more of the guards' species watching them closely and carefully, almost all of them holding blasters (Thrawn observed this carefully). "I don't think I've ever seen this species before"

"The Triffians are a race that was part of the larger galactic society; but ever since the rise of the Galactic Empire, they have become very reclusive" said Thrawn "They originate from the Mid Rim planet of Triffis. Long before the Empire arrived to their planet and declared martial law, a group of colonists left their homeworld for the Outer Rim and they settled upon this planet; it would seem that their choice for a more barren planet was to remind themselves of their. They hope to escape the war here; but with the conflict growing each day, being forced to take a side is inevitable. I made contact with the colonist's leader a month ago asking for a treaty to prevent such misfortune before it ever happened, but he did not reply until now. Hopefully he's decided to join with us"

"And what if he hasn't?" asked Peter.

"Then I will try to convince him otherwise" said Thrawn "And if that doesn't work, then I'll just have to show him our might and remind him that we are the more reasonable side of the Empire" They approached the largest building at the center of the village only to be intercepted by a pair of Triffian guards as they reached the entrance. One the guards said something in their language.

"What is he saying?" asked Peter.

"He tells me that I have to come in alone because their leader asked to speak to me only" replied Thrawn "Just stay here and stay alert, I'll handle this" He then said something in Triffian language which caused the guards to part their pikes and he walked through into the building. As he entered the doorway, he walked up a spiral staircase and entered the room at the top of the building filled with Triffian carvings. At the center of the room, a Triffian wearing silver head ornaments around his hair sat behind a desk with his back turned to Thrawn.

"Take a seat" said the Triffian in his species' language. Thrawn sat down at the chair that stood in front of the desk.

"Ettil Uwimee, leader of the Triffian colonists of Irkalla, I have come to hear your decision" said Thrawn in Triffian language.

"I know you have" said Uwimee "But you will leave disappointed. I see no reason why I should bow down to the Empire; me and my people left the Mid Rim in hopes of escaping the war, especially the devastation your Empire is causing"

"My Empire is being perfectly reasonable" said Thrawn "No doubt you are referring to the rest of the Galactic Empire"

"I don't see any difference" said Uwimee.

"For the sake of your people, you should" said Thrawn.

"Are you threatening me?" asked Uwimee.

"I think you misread my statement" said Thrawn "My Empire is the Empire of the Hand, a portion under my personal rule; the rest of the Empire is the Galactic Empire, under the direct rule of the Emperor and many warlords including the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army. I understand that you do not wish to partake in the conflict that is existing in the wider galaxy and picking aside would not only be part of that conflict but to undermine what you are running from; but if you want to continue to live in freedom and peace, you should consider the options you have before you even if from your point of view it is making a deal with the lesser of two evils. Say that we leave here on this day leave you be; what would happen to you and your people?"

"We will go on living as we've always had and our problems here would be our own without inference from any Empire" said Uwimee.

"Admirable and bold but naïve" said Thrawn "I'm afraid that by running from the Mid Rim, you have only delayed the inevitable"

"Your statements still sound too more like threats to me" said Uwimee.

"Then let me give it to you straight" said Thrawn "The fact is that your time out here in the Unknown Regions has isolated you from the rest of the galaxy; and with that, you've lost sight of what is really going on. The Galactic Civil War has changed since you left; it has taken on a much larger scale and it is growing and growing each day, consuming everything and everyone that gets in its path. By travelling to the Unknown Regions, you have only delayed the inevitable; the time will come when the war reaches here. Not now, not tomorrow, but soon enough; and when that happens, taking sides is inevitable. I am not giving you threats and not coercing you into anything, I am merely giving you an option; either reject my offer to join us and risk being taken over by the Empire eventually, or accept my offer right here right now. And before you ask anything, I will let you know there is indeed a difference. If you agree to my offer, we will grant you protection in exchange for permission to draft your people and use your resources when necessary. But do not worry; they will be treated equally to the other soldiers as opposed to slave soldiers, and you will nonetheless be allowed to live your daily lives. You wouldn't see that with the rest of the Empire; they would drain your resources and treat you as less than nothing, which they already do to their own men"

"And you expect me to assume that you would be any different" said Uwimee.

"I think you can tell by my appearance that I'm not exactly Human, so why would I cling onto some elitist xenophobic belief that I am better than every Non-Human?" said Thrawn.

"I'm still not convinced" said Uwimee.

"Look to the window behind me" said Thrawn. Uwimee got himself up and walked over to the window behind him. "Do you see them?"

"Stormtroopers, yes" replied Uwimee "What about them?"

"Men, remove your helmets" said Thrawn into his comlink (now in Basic). The stormtroopers each remove their helmets. Some of them were Human, but the rest were Non-Human like Niktos, Rodians, Twi'leks, Weequay, Zabraks, and Zeltrons. "Do you see it? Some of them are indeed Human, but alongside them are Non-Humans all of whom are being treated as equals. And before you write off them as expendable soldiers, look closely at their armor. Do you see the dents? The marks? Those are signs of continuous battle, they have been serving me for a long time and have seen many battles and have survived them. I am not like the rest of the Empire that views its resources and people as nothing more than expendable, I take what I need and I take the lives of my men seriously"

"How do I know this is not some kind of trick?" asked Uwimee.

"If I wanted to I could have simply taken over your planet by force" said Thrawn "But I believe in reason so I decided to appeal to you to show that I am not like the rest of the Empire. And if you still wish me to prove our effectiveness to you, perhaps a demonstration is in order"

"What kind of a demonstration?" asked Uwimee.

"I offered you protection in exchange for your loyalty, maybe I could show you our effectiveness" replied Thrawn.

"And what against exactly?" asked Uwimee.

"I've noticed that almost every colonist is carrying a weapon of some sort" said Thrawn "Not particularly appropriate for colonists who live a pacifist life in a place they believe to be completely safe" Uwimee lowered his head and thought for a moment.

"Alright then" said Uwimee "The truth is there is a problem on this planet that has been plaguing us for a long time; if you can fix it within the rules I set for you, I will consider your offer"

"I'm listening" said Thrawn.

 _Meanwhile_

"AHHHH!" screamed Chelaa as Kionzin carved his shiv across the back of her neck.

"You can scream all you want, but it will hardly make any difference" said Kionzin "If anyone could hear you, they would have come by now" Having got ahold of her, he had proceeded to torture her in a variety physical ways; he had punctured the palms of both her prosthetic hands, brutally beaten and bruised her, and used his shiv to cut her in varying sizes and in various places like the back of her neck, her wrists, and her cheeks. "I know what you're thinking, I don't need to focus enough to the point I sense your thoughts; you're wondering when I'm going to end it. You have lost hope in the idea that somehow you're going to get rescued and everything will be fine; all you want now is your suffering to cease, by any means possible" He placed his metal hand around Chelaa's neck, retracted out his metallic claws, and stroked her unpleasantly. "True, it could be the simplest thing to end you right here and right now…" His grip around her neck got more intense. "…one little slash, and you're finished; a painful and slow end, but an end nonetheless. That's what any of my victims want. However, I'm making an exception" He pulled his hand away from her neck. "I'm going to let you live this time. But don't view it as an act of kindness, because that would be a merciful death. You're going to live with the memories of what I did to you. You can hide it from all including yourself, you could act as if it is merely something from the past; but eventually, it will break you and you will crack wide open" He grabbed her by the back of her head. "And poor old K'Kruhk will be hurt most of all" Chelaa spat in his face which caused him to slam her face onto the ground. "Just because I don't plan to kill you doesn't mean I won't make you feel any more pain!" He raised his shiv ready to slam it into her.

"General, we have the rebel leaders and we're loading them onto a dropship ready for evacuation" said an Imperial field commander from his comlink.

"Wait for me and keep them secure" replied Kionzin "I'll be there soon" He turned back to Chelaa. "Well; it seems our time together has come to an end, for now at least" He grabbed her by the lekku and pulled her up. "So let's put on the finishing touches!" He ignited his lightsaber shoto and swung forward.

 _Meanwhile_

Luke sat at a table in the tavern that overlooked a waterfall outside Theed. He turned his head over to the waterfall and closed his eyes. He inhaled the powerful yet calm sound of the waterfalls; and for that moment, the feeling of Déjà vu that he felt when he arrived on the planet intensified further.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" said a voice. Luke opened his eyes to see Pooja sitting down on the seat in front of him. "I try to make time each day to just embrace the feeling of the waterfalls. It reminds me of the days when Theed was a peaceful planet, before the Empire came"

"I've been to several planets that in a similar situation, but usually I'm able to do something about it" said Luke "So…how long until midday?"

"Not long now" replied Pooja "It's merely a matter of minutes. Listen; I know things must seem rushed and you feel off put since we're trying to get you out of here, but believe when I say it's for your own good. If the Empire catches you in the city, you'll do more harm than good"

"I understand that" said Luke "In places like these, Jedi attract attention" He sighed.

"So what is about this bounty hunter that would make you risk everything to come here and stop him?" asked Pooja.

"He's no ordinary bounty hunter, that's for starters" said Luke "His name's Durge and he's a Gen'dai, a rare species with an unbelievable regenerative healing"

"How unbelievable?" asked Pooja.

"I cut him up once and thought he was dead, but he came back" replied Luke "And after that, we trapped him within a chamber which we blew up and collapsed on top of him and thought that was the last of him; but now he's back again"

"So aside from the healing factor, what else is there to worry about?" asked Pooja.

"He's an absolute monster on the battlefield" replied Luke "I've seen him, he's almost unstoppable. He destroys everyone and everything in his path without even the slightest hesitation. When I found out he might be on Naboo…I just couldn't let him get away again; but after seeing the Imperial security itself, I'm starting to wonder if it was all just a deathtrap to begin with"

"Since the Imperials haven't boosted themselves up, I doubt they'd know about it" said Pooja.

"Still, arriving on an Imperial planet is dangerous enough as it is" said Luke "So you were the Senator of Naboo for the Imperial senate?"

"In its final years, yes" replied Pooja "I took over from the previous senator, a Gungan named Jar Jar Binks who previously acted as Naboo's Representative"

"And what happened to him?" asked Luke.

"The last I heard, he retired to the planet Bardotta" replied Pooja "Something about being consort to the queen there, I think" Luke began to scratch his chin.

"So tell me, what happened between the Naboo and the Gungans?" asked Luke.

"Why do you ask that?" asked Pooja.

"When I first arrived on this planet, Ahsoka and I passed through Gungan City and their leader…seemed very irritated by Humans" said Luke.

"Not surprising" said Pooja "The Naboo and the Gungans have never had a very good relationship, but the Empire only made it worse"

"Care to elaborate?" asked Luke.

"The Gungans are the natives to this planet; they've been here longer than any of us" replied Pooja "Naturally of course; when Humans colonized the planet, there came to be disagreements and very big ones. For thousands of years, we lived completely separate from each other; any contact we made with them was usually left bitter. But eventually one day, things changed. After multiple disputes and arguments with the Galactic Republic, the greedy Trade Federation created a blockade over the planet; and eventually they invaded. At first, the Gungans did nothing as the Federation seemed showed no interest in them and instead attacked Theed and other Human-populated cities; but once that was over, they turned their sights right to them and drove them out of their cities. But in the end, they formed an alliance with the Naboo and were able to drive the Federation out"

"You seem to describe the story in great detail" said Luke.

"Probably because my aunt was involved" said Pooja "I wasn't born at the time, but she always used to tell me the story of how the Naboo and the Gungans came together"

"And how was she involved exactly?" asked Luke.

"Maybe because she was queen at the time" smirked Pooja.

"Wait, what!?" exclaimed Luke.

"Yep; Queen Amidala, it was thanks to her that our people and the Gungans came together against a common foe" said Pooja.

"Amidala?" said Luke as the feeling of Déjà vu swept over him again "That name…I feel like I should know it"

"She played a big part in the politics of the galaxy prior to the Empire, so you probably heard her name once or twice" said Pooja "When I was born, I grew up alongside Humans and Gungans; so I never truly knew the segregation between us until I was old enough"

"So what happened to your aunt after that?" asked Luke.

"She died during the rise of the Empire" replied Pooja.

"How?" asked Luke.

"Well; according to the Empire, she was killed by the Jedi" replied Pooja "Absolutely ridiculous; Queen Apailana knew it wasn't the truth, which was part of the reason she began to defy the Empire. And in the end, it eventually got her killed. It was around that time that relations between the Naboo and the Gungans began taking a turn for the worst. Like I said before; with the Queen out the way, the Empire began taking a more direct control with Naboo's government. As you may know, the Empire isn't very fond of Non-Humans and they're especially not fond of being close to them; so they banished them from the surface by force. Now they're confined to their cities, only just able to venture into the swamps with the risk of being hunted like animals. I know how Boss Nass must feel; after years of not trusting Humans, he finally opens up and makes an alliance with them only for it to be taken away by the Empire" At that moment, there was a loud splash from a nearby room.

"What was that?" asked Luke.

"Your ticket out of here, that's what" replied Pooja "Grab Ahsoka, you'll want to have a good look at it"

 _A few minutes later_

Pooja brought Luke and Ahsoka to the door of a room and opened it up. At the center of the room was a circular hole leading into a tube tunnel filled with water. Standing just out of it was a male Gungan with green eyes.

"Luke, Ahsoka; this is Lunker, he's the security captain of Jan-gwa city" said Pooja.

"I thought the Gungans were reluctant to help the Naboo" said Ahsoka.

"Don't let Boss Nass's aggression fool yousa; most of us understand why dha Naboo didn't openly object to dha Empire's decisions, desa placed in a difficult position and forced to gos along" said Lunker "Nass just feels betrayed; and when hesa is angered enough, hesa becomes irrational"

"That seems like an understatement" said Luke "No offense"

"None taken" said Lunker "Here" He lifted up a hologram projector and passed it over to Pooja who activated it and brought up a hologram of Theed with red markers placed for the Imperial security.

"And here we have it, the patrols for the rest of the day" said Pooja "C'mon, let's figure out where to—"

"Pooja, come quick!" exclaimed Eckar. All four of them ran out into the tavern.

"What is it?" asked Pooja.

"You may want to see this" said Eckar. He pulled a holographic screen over towards them which displayed a news report. A Human woman newscaster stood at the center of the screen with a blurry background behind her.

"And now back to our current status of the crisis outside the Royal Palace" said the newscaster. A live feed of outside the Theed Royal Palace appeared on the holographic screen depicting Royal Naboo forces surrounding something.

"Wait, this is happening right now?" said Ahsoka.

"So it seems" said Pooja "What is going on there?"

"Theed security has been brought out in front of the palace in an attempt to quell what appears to be a hostage situation" said the newscaster. As the security forces cleared away for the camera, Durge appeared in the middle of the area holding several civilians at blaster-point.

"That…That's Durge!" exclaimed Luke.

"The bounty hunter you're looking for?" said Pooja "I guess he is here after all"

"An unknown assailant is currently holding various civilians hostage and has currently made no demands" said the newscaster "With peoples' lives at risk, the security has so far kept their distance. And although we've heard that Queen Kylantha herself is coming out now to assess the situation herself, there is currently no sign of local Imperial forces taking interest. Multiple rumors that the Empire may be protecting this aggressor have currently not been answered"

"Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest" said Pooja.

"Hey, they're gone!" said Eckar.

"What!?" said Pooja. She turned around to see that Luke, Ahsoka, and R2 had all disappeared. "I have a bad feeling about this. They'll probably get themselves caught before they even reach Durge"

"Mesa will gos warn Jan-gwa city" said Lunker "If disa attacker gets away, dha Gungans will have besa prepared in case hesa ever starts to target us" He rushed over to the pipe tunnel and leapt down into the water within it"

 _Meanwhile_

"How long is this going to take?" said a stormtrooper who stood outside an Imperial Dropship Transport where Mon Mothma, Leia, and the other Rebel leaders were getting loaded on at gunpoint.

"As long as the general says so" said the Imperial field commander.

"I don't like it" said the stormtrooper "This is all just too ridiculous for me. Is he really expecting us to wait out here, in the open, in the middle of a battle, with several of nine of the most important figures in the Alliance?"

"Yes, I do" said a voice. The stormtrooper and the Imperial field commander looked up at the top of the dropship to see Kionzin kneeling down on top and looking down at them.

"Ah, general!" exclaimed the stormtrooper "I…uh…"

"We're on a time limit, soldier" said Kionzin as he leapt down and landed in front of him "And it would be better spent not worrying about the situation. Where is Nyugo?"

"In containment, like you told us to" replied the field commander whilst gesturing towards a large containment pod next to the dropship. "I'm surprised he cooperated so simply"

"Of course he did" said Kionzin "I made sure he knew that you worked for me and that grave consequences would happen if he did not follow you while under my command. How are the Rebel leaders?"

"We have them onboard the dropship ready to leave" replied the Imperial field commander "But it will take some time to get into clear airspace so we can exit the atmosphere"

"Then we had better start immediately" said Kionzin.

"Yes, general" replied the Imperial field commander. As he gestured towards the pilots who powered up the ship, Kionzin entered the dropship and turned to see Leia (who was now gaining consciousness).

"Well; so we meet again, Princess" said Kionzin. He walked over to her. "And like last time, you are at my mercy" He retracted his claws out and held them underneath her chin. "Only this time, there's no one to save you"

"Spare me your small talk, Kionzin" said Leia "I'm not afraid you, no matter how vile your threats are. You're no Vader"

"Perhaps" said Kionzin "But you want to ask yourself this and think very carefully of the answer; who is currently in your custody having failed to defeat you and who's here right now in command of the Imperial army?"

"You and every other Grand General" smirked Leia "Face it; no matter how much power you have, you'll always have to share it. It really diminishes its significance if you ask me" Kionzin instantly grabbed her by the throat and began choking her. "You won't kill me…I know what the Emperor wants with us…and if you want to stay on his good side…you'll keep us alive however long he wants…"

"True, he specified that he wants you alive just for the pleasure of executing you himself" said Kionzin "However, he never specified whether or not you had to arrive undamaged" He placed his other hand over Leia's face.

"General, we're ready to leave" said the field commander. Kionzin let Leia go.

"Thankfully for you, we're a time limit" said Kionzin "One I have to have full attention of" He began to stroke her cheek. "But don't ease up just yet…we're far from over"

 _Meanwhile_

A hover carrier holding several supplies and with armed Triffians guarding it traveled across a vast ravine. At that moment, several rocks slid down a slope which caused one of the Triffians to raise their blaster at it in fright.

"Relax; it's just rocks" said one of the other Triffians in Triffian language "Save your blaster fire for any actual problems"'

"Do you think the pirates will find us this time?" asked the first Triffian.

"We're using a new passageway so hopefully they won't notice us this time" said the second Triffian.

"Hopefully?" said the first Triffian.

"We've been using the last route for too long and the pirates have gotten used to it" said the second Triffian "And hopefully they're oblivious to this new path" At that moment, there was a loud roar of an engine. The Triffians looked behind themselves to see a group of Weequay, Niktos, and Twi'leks rushing up to them on swoops.

"Pirates!" exclaimed the first Triffian.

"Faster!" said the second Triffian "We can make it if we get out of here!" As the Triffian driver accelerated forward, another group of pirates appeared in front of them. "Oh no!"

 _A few minutes later_

As the Triffians stood against their vehicle with their hands behind their heads and blasters pointed at their faces, the pirates finished unloading their vehicle.

"That the last of it" said a Nikto pirate "Let's get going"

"You can't just do this" said one of the Triffians "Our people needs those supplies"

"Well our boss WANTS them more" said a Twi'lek pirate "And we're not giving it back"

"If you keep doing this we'll starve and die" said a Triffian "And guess what, then you won't get anymore because you're parasites"

"The moment you guess start dying, we'll be off this rock and on our way to some other isolated colony who can't fight back" They began mounting their swoops again and bolted off. As this happened, Thrawn and the others looked down from the top of the ravine with electrobinoculars.

"So those are the pirates we're after?" said Peter.

"Indeed" said Thrawn "Ever since their arrival to this planet, they've been plagued by pirates who steal their supplies as they transport them. Uwimee thought he could handle them, so that's why he hasn't brought it up until now. Fortunately, he has just offered us a chance to prove why he should chose the Empire over neutrality"

"Then why didn't we step before they took the supplies then?" asked Peter.

"Because we would have needlessly given away our position" replied Thrawn "Our prime advantage right now is that they are unaware of our presence; if we reveal our hand too early, they'll become cautious and less easy to take down. Our objective is to not simply stop the pirate attacks as they happen; it is to use this incident to follow them to their stronghold and defeat their leader" He looked off to the horizon where the pirates sped off on their swoops.

 _Meanwhile_

"Steady!" said a Naboo security guard "Steady!"

"Hold it, the Queen's coming" said another security guard "Move aside" Queen Kylantha stepped through the crowds of guards until she reached the edge of the crowd.

"Dear lord, what is he doing now?" asked Kylantha.

"We've tried asking him for any demands, but he hasn't responded" said a security guard "We can't move in or else we'll risk those peoples' lives"

"Maybe he'll listen to a queen then" said Kylantha. Durge grabbed a middle aged man from amongst his hostages and dragged him out forcibly by the collar.

"No, please!" begged the man.

"What is he doing?" asked Kylantha.

"My word, it looks like he's about to start executing them" said one of the security guards.

"Is there any sign of the Imperial forces?" asked Kylantha.

"No, they seem to be giving this area a wide berth" said the security guard. Kylantha sighed.

"The one time we could use their assistance" said Kylantha. Durge threw the man to the ground in front of him.

"Please!" exclaimed the man "Whatever you want…I can give it to you…just—" Durge smacked him across the face with his blaster pistol.

"Silence!" snarled Durge.

"Wait!" said a voice. Durge looked up to Kylantha holding a megaphone to her mouth. "I am Queen Kylantha of Naboo, for what reason are you attacking us? What are your demands?"

"Blood" replied Durge.

"Blood?" said Kylantha.

"I seek opponents who have so far not appeared" said Durge "So I am forced to make unconventional methods" He pointed his blaster pistol back at the man.

"No!" begged the man whilst raising his hands in a frightened position "Please!" Durge shot him in the forehead. Shocked expressions and frightened exclamations erupted from the crowd surrounding him. "Now…who's next?" He pointed his pistol towards the various other hostages. "Or should I just burn them all to a crisp?"

"Stop this, Durge!" said a voice. Everyone turned their heads to the roof of a nearby building where Luke and Ahsoka stood. The two of them leapt down off the building and landed in front of Durge.

"Who…Who are these two?" said Kylantha.

"Look, on their belts!" said a security guard. Kylantha looked over at the lightsabers on their belts.

"Those are lightsabers!" said Kylantha "They can't possibly be Jedi, can they?"

"I was beginning to believe you'd never show up!" snarled Durge.

"Leave these innocent people out of this, Durge!" said Luke "This is between us!"

"Very well" said Durge. He pushed the hostages out of the way. "Let us begin!" He activated his jetpack and blasted over towards Luke and Ahsoka, grabbing both of them off their feet and slamming them into the wall of a nearby building. "I've been waiting for this a long time!" He began to continuously punch the two of them across the face until Luke managed to slide underneath him, ignited his lightsaber, and sliced his arm clean off, allowing Ahsoka to escape. As Luke and Ahsoka got themselves up, Durge reattached his arm and turned to face them.

"You're going to have try better than that!" said Ahsoka. Durge extended his arm out and blasted fire from his flamethrower.

 _Meanwhile_

Maris's eyes began to flicker open until she finally woke up.

"No!" exclaimed Maris as she shot up and pulled the breath mask off her mouth. "Storm…Stormtroopers…" As she looked around the room she was in, she realized that she was within the crew quarters of a ship. As she pulled herself up off the bed, Kota entered the room. "Master Kota!"

"Maris, are you alright?" asked Kota as he walked over to her.

"Master Kota, what happened?" asked Maris "Where are the Rebel leaders?! Are they…"

"Slow down" said Kota "What happened to you? What's the last thing you remember?" Maris took a deep breath in and closed her eyes.

"I was…after the Alliance leaders" said Maris "I had reached the building when I found them…surrounded by stormtroopers. I was about to do something when…it came…"

"What came?" asked Kota.

"A Devaronian knocked me out of the building" replied Maris "And it was fast; I could only sense him the moment he attacked me, so I couldn't fight back. After that, I don't remember anything. So what happened exactly?"

"We found lying on a ledge just outside the building" replied Kota "We got you on board immediately and put you on life support to stabilize your condition. If you hadn't reached that ledge, you'd be dead"

"And what of…AHHH!" said Maris as she held onto her back in pain.

"Easy" said Kota "I suspect something must have slowed your fall before you landed, but you'll still feel some pain"

"What of the Alliance leaders?" asked Maris "Where are they?"

"I'm afraid they've already been taken" said Kota.

"What!?" exclaimed Maris. She placed her hand atop her face. "I…I can't believe I failed…"

"Not just yet" said Kota.

"Wait, what do you mean?" asked Maris.

"The moment we recovered you, we caught sight of an Imperial dropship retreating the area" replied Kota "I reached out with the Force and I could sense Mon Mothma aboard…along with Kionzin"

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Maris "Let's get them!"

"We're after them at this moment" said Kota "Fortunately, the aerial and space battles above us is keeping them from escaping the planet enabling us to get a good sight on them"

"You say that as if there's a catch to it" said Maris.

"Unfortunately, we cannot get too close or we might alert them to our presence" said Kota "And then we'll have a hostage situation on our hands"

"There's always something" said Maris "Well, I look forward to taking on that lizard"

"When we reach the dropship, I'm going in alone" said Kota.

"What, are you crazy?!" said Maris "He's beat K'Kruhk before; what chance do you think you've got, especially onboard an Imperial ship that's airborne surrounded by several potential hostages. You'll need my help"

"You're injured, Maris; you need to rest" said Kota "The only reason we haven't dropped you off at a medic is because we're in the middle of an emergency and we couldn't just leave you where you lay. Believe me, I can handle this"

"And with respect, I don't think you know what's it's like facing that psycho" said Maris.

"I've heard enough from Luke and K'Kruhk to form ideas" said Kota "He's unpredictable and dangerous but unstable; if I can at least stay focused during my confrontation with him, then there's a chance the battle might be ours"

"Too little a chance for my liking" said Maris.

"Which is why staying focus will be extremely important" said Kota "Don't worry; he's not the first darksider I've faced off against and he'll be far from the last"

"He may not a Jedi kill count like Vader or Grievous, but we shouldn't give him the opportunity to have one" said Maris.

"Then we'll just need to make sure he never does" said Kota.

"But Master Kota, what about K'Kruhk and Chelaa?" asked Maris.

"What do you mean?" asked Kota.

"The last I saw of the two, they were fending off Kionzin" said Maris "I don't know what has happened to them"

 _Meanwhile_

K'Kruhk lifted the debris off himself using the Force, unearthed himself, and looked around.

"Chelaa!" called K'Kruhk. He looked around until he noticed lightsaber markings around the ledge in front of him. He rushed up and looked down below and noticed what appeared to be Chelaa attached to the wall. "Chelaa…" As he leapt off and rushed down towards her, he discovered that both her hands had been skewered into the wall by metal poles which were held above her head; and when he finally reached her, he discovered the various cuts and bruises all over her body left by Kionzin. "By the Force!" As he lifted her head up, she began to regain consciousness and slowly opened her eyes.

"Master K'Kruhk…you came…" said Chelaa.

"Just hang on, I'll get you down from there" said K'Kruhk.

 _Meanwhile_

Within a large and armored pirate fortress (but not as big as the Ohanaka gang's fortress) that stood at the center of a barren valley, many pirates of varying species celebrated as the Triffian resources were loading in.

"Ah, another load of the good stuff!" said Kes Ronkil (the Sneevel pirate leader) "Foodstuffs, ore, the works! This stuff will sell real well for spice on the market" Behind him stood a hologram of Manna, still the current leader of the Ohnaka gang.

"Excellent work, Ronkil" said Manna.

"I tell you, the trick is to pick an isolated planet where the locals are desperate but can't fight back" said Ronkil "And the best part is, there's so many of them scattered across the galaxy that you don't have to worry about draining them dry"

"Now let's get down to business" said Manna "By tomorrow, I'll expect fifty-fifty percent of—"

"Eh, eh; what did you just say?" asked Ronkil.

"Fifty-fifty, it's fair" said Manna.

"I see what you're getting at, but I ain't doing it" said Ronkil.

"What?!" snapped Manna.

"Me and Hondo had this thing where we'd split our profits sixty-forty with the greater number belonging to the one of us who caught it" said Ronkil

"What kind of system is that?!" snapped Manna.

"I need more resources to keep my little operation going out here" said Ronkil "I'm already expending enough in giving you guys some of our earnings, so Hondo always made sure to have only "some" of it"

"I thought you said it was easy" said Manna.

"Easy doesn't mean there's a lot of it" said Ronkil.

"Well; maybe Hondo let you get away with such a thing, but I'm in charge now" said Manna "And any—"

"Turn that off" said Ronkil.

"Wait, don't you dare!" snapped Manna shortly before an Ishi Tib pirate turned off the hologram projector.

"That shut him up" said Ronkil whilst raising his mug of alcohol "Now, how about a toast to our latest raid?"

"But how much longer can we keep this up, boss?" asked the Ishi Tib.

"Well, as long as those colonists keep finding resources for us to snatch" replied Ronkil.

"I mean, how long until they just start fighting back" said the Ishi Tib "You've the weapons they have; they're not your basic peace-loving colonists, they're ones who've come prepared in case of a threat"

"Even if they have the weapons, they're still puny people who don't stand a chance against our defenses and offences" said Ronkil "And there aren't any of them amongst our gang so it's not like they'd blend in amongst us. So just sit back and enjoy yourself, we're going to be here for a long time" At one of the tables across from him, Gaplen sat dressed in civilian clothes with a drink and stared at him carefully.

 _Meanwhile_

Several miles from the pirate fortress at the top of a cliff overlooking it, Thrawn, Peter, and the platoon of stormtroopers sat outside their shuttle watching Gaplen's view of Ronkil through a holographic screen.

"There he is" said Thrawn "The pirate's leader, our target"

"Good thing we were able to sneak Gaplen in to find him" said Peter "So what's next? Should Gaplen—"

"Gaplen's disguise only works for spying" said Thrawn "Should he attempt to make a move on the leader, he would surely be overwhelmed by the other pirates. And we have too few men for a full frontal assault; and even if we did manage to penetrate their defenses, the pirates would be alerted to our presence and their leader would escape"

"Then should we—" asked Peter.

"Uwimee has given me specific guidelines to complete this mission by, one of which is to not ask for any more soldiers on the surface" replied Thrawn "Neither can we use weapons that we currently do not possess here, so that rules orbital bombardment out as well"

"Why are you following these guidelines?" asked Peter "I mean, we've still got—"

"The forces I've prepared were in case an armed conflict was inevitable" said Thrawn "I am performing this task for a peaceful resolution; and while that is still my goal, I will go along with whatever directions I need to complete it with"

"Then what are we going to do then?" asked Peter.

"We will complete the task with what resources and might we have" said Thrawn "Fortunately, I come well prepared. Within our shuttle you'll find all manner of weapons and equipment to be used"

"Okay then, so when do we start?" asked Peter.

"Right now" said Thrawn "We're going to take as long as we need to create a strategy, set it up, and execute it flawlessly"

 _Meanwhile_

Luke struck forward at Durge who swerved aside and kicked him in the face with his knee before upper cutting him with his fist. Before Luke could even get himself up, Durge pinned him down by his chest with his foot.

"AHHH!" exclaimed Luke as Durge squeezed down. The Gen'Dai pulled out a blaster pistol and aimed it at Luke's head.

"Die!" snarled Durge. Suddenly, Ahsoka leapt onto his back and stabbed him with her lightsaber, causing him to pull the trigger but missed Luke and hit a statue instead. Durge then turned towards Ahsoka and fired at her; but Ahsoka leapt out of the way and threw her lightsaber at him, slashing the right side the top of his helmet clean off. As she landed on the ground, she looked over at the slashed visage of the Gen'Dai and saw a disturbing sight; with part of his helmet slashed off, the side of his face was revealed. The revolting and veiny purple skin almost oozed out and his beady yellow eye darted towards her.

"Yikes!" exclaimed Ahsoka. After struggling and walking backwards for several moments, Durge extended his reattached arm and grabbed Ahsoka by the lekku. "Oh, this is just bad!" Durge pulled her clean off her feet and slammed her face-first into the ground. He lifted her up again, swung her around in the air, and threw her into the wall of a building. "Okay, now that hurt…a lot!" She looked up to see Durge standing over her with his spiked flail out, ready to bludgeon her. "Uh oh!" She rolled to the side as Durge slammed his flail down towards her. She summoned her lightsaber to her hands, ignited it, and slashed Durge's legs clean off. Before she could even react however, Durge's vein-like appendages erupted from his stomach and grabbed ahold of her by the arms. "Oh—" Durge pulled her arms abruptly in and slammed her forehead against his chest. He then began to absorb her but was quickly slashed diagonally across the chest by Luke who then pulled Ahsoka out before she could be fully absorbed and helped her up.

"Ahsoka, you alright?" asked Luke.

"Aside from being badly beaten and almost absorbed into a monster, just fine" smirked Ahsoka.

"Well, good to know you're still the same" said Luke "Wait, hang on…" He looked around quickly and noticed that there was something missing. "Where's R2 gone?"

"He was right behind me while we were making our way over here" replied Ahsoka "Maybe he's off on one of his adventures"

"Wouldn't surprise me" said Luke "We'll just have to worry about it later, right now we'll deal with Durge while he's—"

"While he's moving?" said Ahsoka.

"Mov—" said Luke before turning around to see what Ahsoka was looking at. Durge's dismembered parts were starting to wriggle and squirm before they quickly slid over and reformed back together. "He just…"

"He's getting really quick at these regenerations" said Ahsoka. Durge raised both his arms and fired flechettes at them, which they deflected with their lightsabers.

"There's just no stopping him" said Luke.

"Last time we stopped him by burying him" said Ahsoka "Maybe we should try something like that"

"We'll have to trap him first, and we can't really do that out here" said Luke "We have to lure him away first" Suddenly, Durge extended his arm out, grabbed Luke by the chest, and slammed him into the pavement. Before Ahsoka could even react, Durge turned around, grabbed her by the throat, spun her around, and threw her away. "No…" A feeling of dread and despair washed through him as he watched helplessly as Ahsoka disappeared down the cliff on the side of the palace. "Ahsoka…no…" Slowly, his fingers curled up against the ground as the despair within him began turning into something else, something much more aggressive. He got himself up, reignited his lightsaber with a firm grip of the hilt, and began limping over towards Durge again while holding his side. "You! You'll…You'll regret this, you monster!"

"Her death is in your hands" said Durge "I only left that message to direct you to me; you chose to follow it"

"Well; now that I'm here, I may as well make some good use of my time" said Luke. He lunged towards Durge. "I'm going to kill you!"

 _Meanwhile_

"Hold them back!" said a rebel trooper as he and the others pushed back against the stormtroopers and AT-STs that flooded the streets "Keep the civilians out of harm's way!" At that moment, several droidekas rolled, uncoiled, and began blasting at them. "Damn it! Get those heavy cannons in, we've got destroyers!" At that moment, the Imperial dropship flew overhead with the YT-2400 light freighter close behind it but keeping a safe distance. Within the cockpit, Rendar and an aqua LE-series repair droid with red sensors sat in the cockpit chasing after the dropship. At that moment, Kota and Maris entered.

"How is the tracing going?" asked Kota.

"We're after them but keeping our distance, like you said" said Rendar.

"Mind introducing me" said Maris.

"Maris, this is Dash Rendar, he's a smuggler who works for us on various assignments and missions of our choosing" said Kota.

"At a reasonable price of course" said Dash.

"And this is his co-pilot, LE-BO2D9" said Kota.

"Just call him "Leebo", it's less of a mouthful" said Dash "I think this is as close as I can get; any closer and we'll be spotted"

"It's enough" said Kota "Lower the ramp and I'll take it from here"

"You crazy?" said Dash "Sure, we're **close** ; but not that close. You'd have to be like…a Terrelian Jango Jumper or something to get that far"

"Not to mention that the wind currents should add to the difficulty" said Leebo.

"Exactly" said Dash "Unless you want to risk getting blown off and—"

"I am a Jedi, I can use the Force to increase my jump" said Kota "I can handle this"

"Whatever, your funeral" said Dash "Just thought I'd give you a little warning is all"

"Warning is noted" said Kota "I'll mind the air currents"

"I still think going alone is a bad idea" said Maris.

"Maris; in your condition, you'd be more of a hinder than help" said Kota "Kionzin may be unstable; but if he figures out that your injured, he'd see it as a weakness to exploit. If things were different, I would take you along with me; but we're facing a sociopath here, one wielding both the Force and his lightsaber in an erratic way. If he gets give the chance, he'll take it without mercy"

"I know that" said Maris "I survived him once" Kota moved out of the cockpit and towards the ramp where he opened it up and stood at its ledge. As he looked up towards the dropship, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath in before he leapt up towards the dropship and grabbed onto it with both his hands.

 _Meanwhile_

Within the dropship, Kionzin watched over the Rebel leaders, picking his teeth and gums with his shiv until they began to bleed.

"How much longer, pilots?" asked Kionzin "I don't like the idea of staying a target for long"

"Not long now" said the pilot "We should be able to find an opening very soon"

"How soon?" asked Kionzin.

"Well…I can't exactly say when, but—" replied the pilot.

"Whatever the exact time is, make sure it is indeed "soon"" said Kionzin "Because if not…well, I don't think I'll be in a very forgiving mood if we fail" As the pilot gulped, Kionzin turned back towards the Rebel leaders and grinned a toothy and bloody smile. "I suppose I could do something to pass the time, however" He walked over towards the Rebel leaders and looked around amongst them. He turned towards Mon Mothma and began to stroke her face sadistically. "No…it's tempting; but as Chief-of-State, we need your face more preserved than the rest" He turned towards Borsk Fey'lya and began to stroke his face with his shiv. "I don't think I've ever seen you before, and I doubt anyone in the Empire would recognize your face. Then again, all you Bothans do look alike"

"That's rich coming from you, reptile" said Fey'lya "If you're going to insult me and my species, then I'll—" With a fierce and shrill snarl, Kionzin slammed Fey'lya's head into the wall and pinned his shiv to his throat; this acts was so abrupt and startling that even the stormtroopers were shocked by it.

"Was that a threat?" said Kionzin "Some attempt to scare me? It may have worked if you posed any real threat to me, but you don't. Like it or not, you are weak and you at my mercy. The slightest mistake you make and I can cut you"

"You wouldn't dare" said Fey'lya "You need us"

"We need you alive" said Kionzin "That was the condition from the Emperor himself; however, he did not give any specifications on what shape you came in. You may be on the path to death, but it's your choice on how painful it will be" He slowly pulled his shiv away from Fey'lya's neck. "And one more thing, if I hear another word from you, I'll cut your tongue out" He turned around to Leia and smiled. "And of course, there's always the royalty to butcher" Leia bared her teeth. "Putting a fierce display won't save you" He placed his shiv on her cheek. "The moment we leave this planet, you're dead. The Emperor will make sure your public executions will be as impactful as possible, and who am I not to add to that? Seeing the so-called "Princess of Alderaan" in an agonizing, bloodied, almost lifeless state should decrease Rebel support"

"Are you sure of that?" said Leia "Because if it doesn't work, it could backfire on you more than you know"

"Shhhh!" snarled Kionzin as he pushed his shiv into Leia's cheek "There's no point dwelling on a reality that will never come to be. You know, it's ironic; your father got easier than you will. At least it was…sudden" As he licked his lips, a green blade appeared at his neck and he looked up to see Kota standing before him.

"That's enough" said Kota. As the Imperial field commander and the stormtroopers raised their blasters at him and began to corner him, he extended his hand out and force-pushed them back. At first, Kionzin bared his teeth in anger; but after he looked down at the ground to see the cover to the entrance slightly ajar, he grinned and looked back up at Kota.

"Well played, General Kota" said Kionzin "You were actually able to catch me unawares. Your reputation truly precedes you"

"Let her go, Kionzin" said Kota. Kionzin began to chuckle evilly.

"An empty threat" smirked Kionzin "You like, like almost every Jedi, are too afraid to cross that particular line; your code will not allow it. I on the other hand, can do whatever I want"

"Whatever you want?" said Kota "You're forgetting that I'm the one who's holding a blade to your neck"

"You see this shiv in my hand; if you make so much of a move against me, or at least so much as provoke me, then I'll drive it right through her pretty little face" said Kionzin "And if you attempt to strike me then, I'll just drive deeper. So, I suppose we can call it a stalemate" At that moment, he was suddenly pulled back by something unseen.

"Not quite" said Maris as she stepped forward. She looked over at Kota who gave her a disapproving look before freeing Leia.

"Are you alright?" asked Kota.

"Yeah, but that maniac cut in the face" said Leia.

"It's only the start of it!" snarled Kionzin as he leapt back onto his feet "You may have caught me off guard, but it won't happen again!" He ignited both his lightsabers and charged at them.

 _Meanwhile_

Ahsoka dangled off the side of the cliff and desperately held onto a vine, which was starting to give.

"This…is just…" said Ahsoka as she tried to keep her footing on the cliff, only to accidently chip off a large rock in the process and almost fall. "WOAH!" She tightened her grip only to find it was wearing out the vine. "Things are just getting worse" She looked down and sighed miserably. "I'm sorry, Luke; I was meant to protect you, and now…I've failed you! I've failed everyone…" At that moment, a large swirl of wind brushed down on her as a Naboo N-1 starfighter descended down towards her. "What?!" She looked closely at the cockpit and noticed that there was no pilot. "No pilot?" At that moment, she heard a familiar beeping coming from the starfighter. She looked over to see R2 placed within the astromech section of the starfighter. "Ha; so that's where you went, little buddy. You really came in at the nick of time, didn't you?" At that moment, the vine she held onto almost snapped off. "Woah! Hey, R2; do you mind lowering a little bit so I can get on?" R2 beeped again and descended down. "Great!" She leapt down onto the starfighter. After slowly regaining her balance, she walked carefully over to the cockpit and got in. "C'mon; we have to help Luke"

 _Meanwhile_

Luke struck at Durge over and over again, but the Gen'Dai used the shields on his wrists to block the strikes.

"Even when you let your own rage consume you, Jedi; you are still weak" said Durge. He punched Luke in the stomach and sent him flying up onto the stairs of the palace. He then shot up into the air with his jetpack and slammed down towards him, with Luke only just managing to get out of the way in time.

"I'm…not…done!" said Luke. Suddenly, Durge extended his arm out, grabbed Luke by the throat, and pulled him back towards him so fast that he lost grip and dropped his lightsaber in the process. Durge then grabbed onto his throat with both hands and began squeezing intensely.

"You are now" said Durge "I have fought and defeated greater Jedi than you, weak one; what made you think you could stand a chance against me?"

"You…You are not Durge" wheezed Luke "Not the one who…Not the one who fought in the Clone Wars. He perished within the star of the Karthakk system long ago…"

"Then what am I supposed to be then?" snarled Durge whilst applying more pressure to Luke's neck.

"Ever since our last encounter, I did…a bit of research on your species" said Luke "Your kind has a particularly…powerful regenerative healing factor…and in rare cases…in the right conditions…a portion cut off from the main body…is able to grow into a copy…"

"You still don't make sense" said Durge.

"What I'm saying…" said Luke as he summoned his lightsaber, ignited it, and slashed upwards at Durge, allowing him to escape his grip "…is that at some point, the Empire got ahold of a portion of the original Durge that had somehow been cut off from the main body. You're an offshoot, a copy; but one that's exactly like the original"

"That is of no importance now" said Durge "The Emperor told me to keep you Alliance scum occupied and he was very keen on having you out of the way permanently" He pulled out his blaster rifle. "Like it or not, you were never going to walk out of this alive" As Luke readied himself into an attack position, the sound of an incoming starfighter ripped through the air. Ahsoka and R2 piloted their N-1 starfighter down over to Durge.

"Alright, now let's move it!" said Ahsoka. Within the blink of an eye, she opened her cockpit up, leapt out into the air, and grabbed onto R2 who ejected out and activated his rocket boosters. Before Durge could even react, the N-1 starfighter slammed right into him and crashed into a nearby building in a blaze of flames and rubble. R2 landed next to Luke and beeped. "Luke!" The moment she saw Luke, she ran over to him and hugged him tightly.

"Ahsoka!" said Luke "You're alright!

"You can thank R2 for that" said Ahsoka "He's the one who got the starfighter.

"I guess his little adventures proved to be useful after all" said Luke. The two of them briefly looked over towards the flaming pile of debris and rubble that lay in front of them.

"So…I guess we got him" said Ahsoka.

"We buried him" said Luke. As the two of them hugged harder and harder, they didn't notice that there was a small twitching coming from the debris; that was until R2 beeped to point it out. Luke and Ahsoka turned to heads around to see what was happening. Out of the fiery pile emerged Durge, now striped of his armor and exposing his veiny, tentacle-like body. His face was round and monstrous with a pair of beady yellow eyes and his mouth was mandible-like and dripping a foul saliva-like liquid.

"He…Luke!" exclaimed Ahsoka. Luke looked up at the palace in front of them.

"Quickly, let's get inside" said Luke.

"What, inside where?" asked Ahsoka.

"The palace, quickly!" said Luke "Before he catches up!" As the three of them rushed up the stairs of the palace, Durge noticed them and let out a bellowing, ear-splitting sound that was somewhere between a squeal and a roar. He began stomping after them, a metal-pole in his leg temporarily hindering him until his veins cut its two sides off and absorbed the middle part. At first, his movements were somewhat sluggish; but the more he move, the faster he got and he was soon stomping over to them at an alarming rate.

"Freeze!" said a voice. A group of Naboo security guards appeared and surrounded him. "By the authority of Queen Kylantha, you are under arrest! Do not take another step forward or we will shoot!" Durge roared and step forward. "Fire!" The guards began shooting at him but he wiped all of them off their feet with a sudden swipe of his arms and sent them flying away before he rushed up the steps of the palace on all fours.

 _Meanwhile_

Kionzin clashed with Kota and Maris violently, even causing damage to the ship around him in the process.

"Stop this!" snapped Kota "Can't you see what you're doing to the ship we're in? If you keep doing this, you'll just end up destroying it from the inside"

"You'll be dead by then!" snarled Kionzin.

"Not if I can help it!" said Maris as she leapt in, only to be blocked off by Kionzin "You have less of a chance against two of us!" Suddenly, Kionzin struck forward and kicked her in the stomach. As she flew back and landed against the wall, she held onto her chest in pain.

"That rib of yours doesn't look to be in very good shape" said Kionzin "A weakness I intend to exploit" He turned quickly and lunged towards her before Kota got in his way and blocked his blades.

"Not on my watch!" said Kota. Kionzin grinned evilly and licked his lizard lips.

"You know; Vader may have more Jedi kills than any other in the Empire, but he ultimately failed multiple times to destroy you, Kota" said Kionzin "And that failure has led the way for my greatest achievement! Once I've killed you, the Emperor will realize that am worthy to become his apprentice!"

"I think you misunderstand the concept achievements" said Kota "If you are to gain one, you at least have to have a chance first" As Kionzin struck harder and harder with his blades and began driving Kota back, Maris slowly got herself up and ignited her blades again before lunging at Kionzin from behind. As they began clashing again, Kionzin quickly slashed Kota in the face with his cybernetic hand before quickly spinning around and whipping Maris in the ribs with his tail.

"AHHH!" exclaimed Maris as she stumbled back in pain.

"You should never have come" said Kionzin "In the state you're in; you're more a reliability than an asset"

"Stop this, Kionzin" said Kota "This is between you and me"

"If you insist" said Kionzin. He spun around and lashed forward with his blades. As he clashed with Kota, he looked down at his ankle and kicked his foot towards it. However, Kota caught his foot in mid-air and threw him over.

"You don't get it, you still think you're something of value to the Emperor; that if you accomplish enough, you'll become his new favorite and get everything" said Kota "It doesn't work like that; you're just a weapon to him, one of many"

"Then I'll just have to be the most powerful!" snarled Kionzin. He leapt up into the air and slammed his blades down towards Kota who blocked them before force-pushing him across the ship.

"An ambitious sadist, aren't you?" said Kota. Kionzin looked past Kota and noticed a stormtrooper regaining consciousness. "But I can't let your dreams become a reality; not when they threaten the lives of others" At that moment, Kionzin force-gripped the stormtrooper and hurtled it towards Kota from behind at an alarming rate.

"What the…AHHHH!" exclaimed the stormtrooper as he was sent towards Kota. Kota was about to duck when Kionzin sprang towards him and force-pushed both him and the stormtrooper out of the dropship.

"NO!" exclaimed Maris as she looked back up.

"Goodbye, General Kota" said Kionzin "Your death has sealed my legacy!"

"Will your legacy include this?!" snarled Maris as she ignited her lightsabers and charged at Kionzin who blocked her shots with ease.

"I just killed a Jedi Master and one of the greatest military minds in the Alliance; you, however, are nothing more than a failed Jedi" said Kionzin "Once you're dead, you'll be forgotten in history"

"Stop talking!" snapped Maris. Kionzin chuckled evilly.

"Very well" said Kionzin. With a vicious and bloodthirsty snarl, he swung back at Maris with full force.

 _Meanwhile_

Luke, Ahsoka, and R2 ran desperately through the halls of the royal palace, passing many paintings and decorations.

"Remind me why we went in here" said Ahsoka.

"It's a more enclosed space" said Luke "If we're going to beat Durge, we have to trap him"

"Easier said than done" said Ahsoka. Durge's shrill roar erupted from the hallway behind them.

"Quick, we have to stay out of his reach" said Luke. Ahsoka turned to one of the hallways and starting running down it.

"C'mon!" said Ahsoka "This way to the hanger"

"How do you…" said Luke before realizing what he was saying "What am I saying, you've probably gone down here many times" He and R2 chased after her, unknowingly passing by a portrait of Queen Amidala in the process. When they finally caught up to Ahsoka, she had reached the hanger.

"So this is the hanger" said Ahsoka "So, what next?" The two of them heard Durge's roars approaching.

"Now, we set a trap" said Luke "And one thing I've noticed when Durge gets into a rage like this, he becomes less alert"

 _Meanwhile_

Ronkil poured beer down his mouth all at once with a massive mug.

"Do you think he'll ever cause any trouble?" asked the Ishi Tib.

"Who?" asked Ronkil.

"Manna, of course" replied the Ishi Tib "You saw how angry he was; with Hondo gone, he might do something rash"

"He'd have to come all the way out here; and as far as I'm concerned, he has better things to do than take his anger out on some pirates that don't see eye-to-eye with him. It's just not good business; so let's just relax and ignore the babblings of the outside galaxy" said Ronkil. What he didn't notice was that various pirates around him at particular points in the building quietly pulled breathing masks up over their faces before dropping various bomb-like objects. A male Weequay pirate noticed this and pointed his blaster at them.

"Hey, you!" snapped the pirate "What do you think you're doing?" Suddenly, each of the bombs sprayed out tear gas which filled the whole room within a matter of seconds.

"What…What is…is this!?" snarled Ronkil as he coughed, spluttered, and desperately tried to cover his eyes "Where are you?! Come out!" He desperately reached for the blaster on his belt, only to have his wrist grabbed onto by someone who then pulled his arm behind his back. "Who…Who are you!?"

"The one who's about to take you in!" said Gaplen's voice.

 _A few minutes later_

Thrawn, Peter, and a group of stormtroopers walked up to the entrance of the pirate's fortress as the disguised stormtroopers led the handcuffed pirates out and placed them on the ground outside in front of him.

"It took over an hour, but we have now taken the pirate's headquarters in one swift stroke" said Thrawn "No unnecessary casualties, no loose ends; the right strategy is superior to the wrong move"

"Admiral, I have their leader" said Gaplen as he pulled the wet-eyed Ronkil out of the gassed entrance.

"Excellent, Commander Gaplen" said Thrawn "Bring him to me" Gaplen pulled Ronkil over to Thrawn. "Now let him go"

"Sir, he could—" said Gaplen.

"He has nowhere to run and I have precautions in case he threatens me" said Thrawn. Gaplen reluctantly placed Ronkil down on the ground in front of him and stepped back a few feet. "Kes Ronkil, pirate leader; so you're the one who's been causing trouble here" As Ronkil's eyes adjusted he looked up at Thrawn and snorted angrily.

"Are you some kind of Imperial or something?!" snapped Ronkil as he shot up "What makes you think you can just barge in here and arrest us?!" The stormtroopers aimed their blasters at him but Thrawn gestured them to lower them. "And I thought the underworld was the one place the Empire would turn a blind eye to"

"I have no interest in pirates; but we've made a deal with the colonists and you were a part of it" said Thrawn.

"So it's the colonists, ha?" said Ronkil "Well, I never knew an Imperial would have such a soft side. Well guess what, I'm not threatened by you. You can show up with your fancy white shirt and your army of stormtroopers; but I'm not scared. I came here first so this place is mine; and no blue skinned, blank-eyed know-it-all is going to—"

"Now" said Thrawn into his comlink. At that moment, a sniper shot flew forward through Ronkil's head and he collapsed dead at Thrawn's feet (who notably didn't cringe back in horror as the pirates did). For a brief moment, he looked up at the cliffs where a stormtrooper lay on his stomach with a sniper rifle in hand. "Understand this; I have no quarrel with pirates, your business is your own and I am at peace with that. But your leader was mercilessly attacking the colonists I wished to make a pact with, so taking him out of the picture became necessary" He began pacing around each of the captive pirates. "I am sure you all have stories; stories about where you came from, what events happened to you, all different I am sure. But while you all come from different backgrounds and had different lives, they all eventually led here as pirates making their living on the misfortunes of others"

"Are you seriously mocking us?" said the Ishi Tib pirate.

"On the contrary, I am giving all a proposal" said Thrawn "Whatever sins lay in your past, whatever misdeeds you may have done to the colonists; none of that concerns me. I'm going to offer you all a fresh start; come with me and join my Empire and you can all keep your lives and your freedom"

"Do you really think we're going to buy that?!" snapped a male Twi'lek pirate "After what you just told us?"

"The colonists' leader specified that he wanted an end to your operations and the head of your leader" said Thrawn "He did not specified however what was to become of you; so I'm giving you the chance to come work with me. Just to let you know; this is but one option, you do indeed have a choice in the matter. But bear in mind that the alternative is being handed over to the colonists; and given all the resources you've stolen from them, I doubt they'd be kind to you"

"I thought you said you had nothing personal against us" said the Ishi Tib pirate.

"I do not" said Thrawn "However, I can only take you with me if you agree to come; if not, then I have no reason to take you. The choice is all yours"

"And what about the "less desirable" members of us?" asked a female Weequay pirate.

"Define "less desirable"" replied Thrawn.

"Um, well, you guys are Empire and most of us are "filthy" Non-Humans" said the Weequay pirate.

"I think you can tell from my appearance that I am not completely Human myself" said Thrawn "To me, race is irrelevant and the discrimination of it is nothing more than a barrier that has plagued this galaxy for centuries; a barrier that will be broken. What I care about is your skills" The pirates looked amongst each other.

"So, what kind of work are would we do if we joined you?" asked the Ishi Tib pirate.

"It depends" replied Thrawn "If your skills lay in strategy and technicality, then you will become an officer; if your skills lay in combat, then you will become a stormtrooper"

"You really expect us to trust you just like that?!" snapped a male Kadas'sa'Nikto pirate.

"No, I intend to gain your respect over time" said Thrawn "I know that you must think your position will be nothing more than mere cannon fodder, but you will come to see that your work will have much more worth than the main Empire. In my empire, nothing is truly expendable"

 _Meanwhile_

Durge smashed through the entrance of the hanger and roared. He looked around slowly until he caught sight of Luke standing at the edge of the hanger.

"Hey there, big guy" said Luke "Were you expecting someone else?" Durge roared and charged towards him. "C'mon, c'mon…" Durge leapt up into the air and raised his arms up, ready to smash Luke into a pulp. Suddenly, Luke was pulled away by something unseen and Durge landed at the edge where Luke was standing. Durge turned around to see Luke lying on the ground in front of him with Ahsoka standing a few meters away with her arms outstretched. Durge stood himself up again and roared. "You know…even for a monstrous creature made out of veins, you're still not easy on the eyes" Durge stomped over towards them; but as he did this, he was suddenly shot back by a power blast. R2 was nested within a parked N-1 starfighter and was firing at him vigorously until he was finally knocked over the edge. But within what seemed like a split second, he extended his arm out, grabbed Luke by the leg, and pulled him off with him.

"No!" exclaimed Ahsoka. She ran over to the edge to see Luke desperately holding onto it. "Quickly, take my hand!" As she extended her hand out, Luke took it without question and she began to pull him up. But it was at that moment that something startling happened; Durge's hand shot up and grabbed Luke by the waist. The Gen'Dai was holding onto the cliff-face and was now pulling Luke down with him. As Luke looked down into the monster's eyes, he could see exactly what was going on within the bounty hunter's head; amidst all the absolute and unrelenting animal rage that poured throughout every cell of his body, there was still a sign of his mind still running and focusing entirely on taking him down. "I…can't keep you up! He's too strong!" It was at that moment that Luke knew what he had to do to stop Durge, and he knew that is more than simply risky. After several seconds of contemplating, he looked back up at Ahsoka who was desperately holding onto his arms to the point she was getting pulled off herself. With a deep breath, Luke got himself ready to do what he was going to do.

"Ahsoka, tell me one thing" said Luke.

"Is this really the time and place for that?!" said Ahsoka "Can't we just do it…you know, afterwards when we're both still alive?"

"Do you trust me?" asked Luke.

"What kind of question is that supposed to be?" replied Ahsoka "Of course I trust you! To the ends of this galaxy; heck, even beyond that! Why are you…oh god, where are you going with this?"

"Just promise me you'll stay calm" said Luke. He let go of Ahsoka's hands allowing Durge to pull him down.

"Luke, no!" exclaimed Ahsoka. As Durge pulled Luke down towards him, the young Jedi summoned his lightsaber to his hand and ignited it. As soon as he got close enough, he stabbed it right through Durge's face. The Gen'Dai let out a shrill and ear-splitting scream which could almost be heard for miles and caused such a shock that he let go of the cliff-face and plummeted down towards the river below. In a fraught act of desperation, Ahsoka reached out and attempted to pull Luke up with the Force; but he was falling too far for her to get a grasp of him. "No!"

 _Meanwhile_

Kionzin sent Maris back into the wall of the ship but she got up again and leapt towards him. As she locked onto his blades again with her own, he quickly grabbed her by the wrist and slammed her head into his knee before she could even react. He then grabbed her by the neck and held her up high.

"Too easy!" said Kionzin whilst licking his lips sadistically. Suddenly, the hand he was holding Maris in was shot by something and he dropped her. As he turned around, he saw Leia standing there holding one of the stormtrooper's blasters. "I should have dealt with you while first" As he spun around towards Leia, she pulled the trigger of her blaster. However, Kionzin grabbed the blaster, bent it upwards so it fired at the roof, and grabbed Leia by the neck. "A mistake I intend to rectify…by cutting off your limbs!" Suddenly, Maris got herself up, grabbed onto Kionzin's tail, and pulled him back. But as she did this, Kionzin flipped over and kicked her in the face before grabbing Leia by the shoulder and slamming her down to the floor. Before Maris could get up, Kionzin slammed his foot onto her chest. "You never stood a chance" He ignited his lightsaber pike and raised it. "You couldn't beat anyone on your best day!"

"But she could at least distract you" said a voice. Kionzin turned his head around to see Kota standing before him with all the other Rebel leaders freed.

"What is…you!" snarled Kionzin.

"As I fell, I was able to grab onto the side of the dropship and shimmy underneath it" said Kota "I was then able to climb up here and untie them while you were preoccupied"

"Well played, except you forgot two important things" said Kionzin "For starters, I have Maris Brood right now underfoot; if I push down any further, I'll crush her. Secondly; you may have released the prisoners, but you're still trapped on my ship. So don't think for one second that things are getting easier for you"

"Hey General!" snapped Leia who began shooting at him. Kionzin used his lightsaber to deflect the shots; and in the confusion, Maris pushed away his foot, rolled away, and hoped herself back up. At that moment, the _Outrider_ rose from the clouds and appeared next to dropship with the loading ramp extending out revealing Dash.

"C'mon, General!" said Dash "Get those leaders on board before any Imperial mooks jump"

"I will not be spoken to like that, swindler" said Fey'lya "Do you even know who I am?"

"Considering that he was talking to me, it's you who has the bad manners" said Kota "But thanks for volunteering first"

"Volunteer—" said Fey'lya shortly before Kota lifted him and threw him at Dash who caught "Unhand me!"

"Sorry for saving your life" said Dash.

"That was pretty unprofessional considering it was you who did it" said Maris.

"There is always room for exceptions" smirked Kota "Now let's get moving" One-by-one; they lifted each of the Rebel leaders off of the dropship and onto the _Outrider_ until there appeared to be none left.

"Is that all of them?" asked Maris.

"Almost" replied Kota "We just need to get Princess—"

"Leia!" snarled a voice. Kota and Maris turned around to see Kionzin standing before them holding Leia with his left arm and holding his lightsaber shoto at her with his mechanical hand. "How long did you really expect her to last?"

"Let her go!" snarled Maris.

"I think you don't understand the situation here" said Kionzin "You see, I promised the Emperor I would retrieve all of the Rebel Leaders; and he will be most displeased to learn that I have failed. However, he should be slightly less displeased when I hand him the damaged remains of the little Princess responsible for the Death Star's destruction…especially if she's still only "just" alive. Or perhaps there could be a way out of it for her"

"Explain" said Kota.

"The only thing I could imagine that could make up for the loss of the Rebel leaders more than a mangled up Princess is the head and lightsaber of a the Jedi Master who's evaded him this whole time" said Kionzin "If you turn yourself over to me, I might just feel generous enough to let her go"

"Kionzin, you know I can't just do that" said Kota.

"Suit yourself" said Kionzin "But my offer stands for a limited time; and if you don't respond, then we're both gone. Your choice, of course, blind man"

"Let her go!" snapped Maris.

"Not another step further" said Kionzin "I'd prefer to bring the Princess in somewhat alive, but a corpse is still satisfactory. Any closer and I'll cut her down"

"Maris, calm down" said Kota

"Yes, listen to the actual Jedi Master" said Kionzin "Especially since his time could be better spent contemplating his decision"

"Shut up, scaly!" snapped Maris.

"Or what?" said Kionzin.

"Or I'll break you in two!" said Maris as she raised her leg.

"I'm handling this!" said Kota "Just stay calm and don't do anything irrational"

"And once again Master Kota has shown why he's one of the best military geniuses in galactic history" said Kionzin "You however…well, let's just say that I expected more from the last padawan of Jedi Master Shaak Ti…maybe she wasn't such a legend after all" Maris bared her teeth and ignited both her lightsabers.

"I'm going to kill you!" snarled Maris as she stepped forward.

"Unwise!" said Kionzin. As he moved his lightsaber to slash Leia in the throat, everything slowed down for Maris in what seemed like a split second. She raised both her arms out, force-gripped Kionzin's cybernetic arm, and crushed it. Kionzin let out an ear-splitting scream as he held onto it in extreme pain.

"A shatterpoint!" exclaimed Kota. Before Kionzin could recover, Leia wriggled free and kicked him in the chest; only for him to lunge forward and slash his lightsaber at her, cutting off a portion of her hair and just missing her ear. But as he collapsed to the ground, he quickly grabbed Leia by the ankle with his tail and pulled her down. Maris quickly rushed to her as Kionzin crawled towards them viciously on all fours.

"I'll tear you inside out!" snarled Kionzin. He raised his lightsaber and was about to strike down at them only for the blade to be met with Kota's.

"You two, go!" said Kota "We've got what we came for"

"Master Kota, I'm—" said Maris.

"Go!" said Kota. Maris lifted Leia up by the arm and then leapt off over to the ramp. Kionzin charged towards their direction only to be intercepted by Kota who clashed blades with him again. "You've lost, Kionzin; the Rebel leaders are out of your grasp and I now stand in your way of them"

"True, but you have just given me a great opportunity to kill you!" snarled Kionzin.

 _Meanwhile_

Maris and Leia made her way to the cockpit where found Dash and Leebo at the controls with Mon Mothma standing by them.

"Leia, are you alright?" asked Mon Mothma.

"Was used as a hostage; but other than that, I'm fine" replied Leia.

"You really shouldn't take this lightly" said Mon Mothma.

"I'm not" said Leia "After what he said; I just want to punch him"

"Where's Master Kota?" asked Mon Mothma.

"He's…still on the ship" replied Maris "He's fighting off Kionzin"

"Well he'd better hurry up" said Dash "Don't like the idea of that maniac on my ship"

"Just stay around it" said Mon Mothma "Kota won't let him onboard and we can't just leave him there to die"

"On the contrary, we may have to" said a voice. Fey'lya stepped out of the shadows and over towards them.

"What are you talking about, Fey'lya?" asked Leia.

"This Kionzin, how many people has he killed exactly?" asked Fey'lya.

"Well…more than we can even count" replied Maris "What's the point you're trying to make?"

"That he is a weapon of destruction" replied Fey'lya "And as long as he's around, he'll continue to be an asset of the Empire and a threat to us"

"You're implying something, but what is it?" said Mon Mothma.

"This ship, is it weaponized?" asked Fey'lya.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes" replied Dash "Dual laser cannon turrets, concussion missiles, the works"

"Good" said Fey'lya "The moment you get the chance, fall back and shoot the dropship down. This is the perfect opportunity to free of a hindrance forever"

"We can't do that now" said Maris "Not with Master Kota on there still"

"I'm afraid that it's Master Kota's presence that's giving us this opportunity" said Fey'lya "Kionzin is preoccupied with him at the moment and it's keeping their ship in our sights. If Kota was to leave…well, he might just move away"

"Are you suggesting that we shoot the dropship down while he is still onboard?" said Mon Mothma "That's murder"

"It's a necessary sacrifice" said Fey'lya "Look around you, look at what Kionzin has done today; his coordination and leadership prowess may be questionable, but he's clearly too dangerous to let live"

"Kota's been with us since day one, long before you even joined us" said Leia "And he's saved our lives more times than we can even count"

"I know" said Fey'lya "And I'm not denying his skills as a warrior or a leader; but he has just given us an opportunity to end Kionzin's devastation forever, surely that is worth a sacrifice. So pilot; when you have the chance to shoot down that ship, take it"

"I may be a hired gun, but that's just being psychotic" said Dash.

"There are times in war where you may be forced to questionable things, but you must remember that it is all for the greater good" said Fey'lya "And remember that I am your superior"

"Not while I'm around" said Mon Mothma "I'm still acting Chief-of-State; and while that is so, I have the final say"

"Your compassion is moving, but a true leader must be always prepared and willing to make the hard choices" said Fey'lya.

"I know that" said Mon Mothma "But I also know not to simply cast away our soldier's lives as if they mean nothing simply to get an easier result; it's what makes us different from the Empire. And need I remind you that the Empire only attacked today because of the meeting you initiated"

"Growing quite attached to your position of power, I see" said Fey'lya.

"As I've said multiple times before; if the Alliance's decision is remove me from office, then I will gladly step down" said Mon Mothma "But until then, I will continue to take charge and we will do things my way"

 _Meanwhile_

Thrawn entered Uwimee's room and sat down at the chair he had sat at before.

"My scouts told me about your progress" said Uwimee in Triffian language "They said they did what I asked you to do without using outside force, which is exactly what I wanted. Although I may ask this, where is the head of the pirate leader?"

"Bring it in" said Thrawn to the door. A pair of stormtroopers entered in carrying a box which they opened up to reveal Ronkil's dismembered head laying within. "The head of pirate leader Kes Ronkil, as you requested (now in Triffian language)"

"Excellent" said Uwimee "You did well; although my scouts have pointed out that you spared the other pirates"

"Do not worry, they are of no threat to you" said Thrawn "They are under my command now and I will make sure no other pirate gangs come to your planet; that is, if you decide to sign the treaty I offered you" Uwimee sighed.

"Very well, I suppose you have made your point now" said Uwimee. Thrawn pulled a piece of paper from his belt and placed it on the table. Uwimee slowly looked down the treaty and took in every word that was written on it until finally stopping at the sighing part.

"You are doing this for the good of your people, remember that" said Thrawn. Uwimee pulled out a pen and slowly sighed his signature onto the treaty. "Welcome to the Empire of the Hand"

 _Meanwhile_

Kionzin clashed viciously with Kota until he was cornered.

"What bad luck" said Kionzin "Now to go in for the kill!" As he charged at Kota, the Jedi Master quickly grabbed ahold of his damaged cybernetic arm and pulled it back. Kionzin kicked Kota away with his foot and the two were sent off in different directions.

"I've survived the Emperor himself" said Kota "I'm not going to let myself get killed by you"

"Like I'd give you such an option" said Kionzin as he slashed forward "Give it up, old man; you can't keep this up forever"

"Neither can you with that broken hand" said Kota.

"It's still enough" said Kionzin. He charged at Kota again who blocked his clash with his lightsaber. As he looked over to the Outrider on his side, he quickly kicked and force-pushed Kionzin to the back before leaping off over to the _Outrider's_ ramp. "Running? I'll just have to come after you then" He turned to go after Kota, only for the dropship to abruptly turn and speed away. "No!" He stomped over to the cockpit. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"The ship is heavily damaged" said one of the pilots "If we continue to stay airborne, we might not last long"

"I had one of the greatest Jedi Generals in my grasp and you steer me away from him?!" snarled Kionzin "I don't care how damaged the ship is; I was just about to finish someone who has been a thorn in the Emperor's side since the start and you have taken all of that away from me. Because of you, the Empire has no victory on this day"

"I only thought—" said the pilot before Kionzin grabbed him by the neck and started choking him.

"You only thought!?" snapped Kionzin "Bad time to develop some initiative, pilot. I am your superior! The decisions are mine and mine alone!"

"It wasn't him who decided to leave" said a voice. Kionzin turned to see the Imperial field commander standing before him. "I told him to. The ship was falling apart all because of the fights you had with the Jedi and I just couldn't stand by any longer" Kionzin smiled.

"You really went to a lot of trouble to save the lives of yourself and your men, commander" said Kionzin "There are generals out there who would applaud your actions. But not me; under my command, I make every decision…and failure to follow them properly has consequences" At that moment, he snapped the pilot's neck.

"No!" exclaimed the Imperial field commander.

"Don't worry, I'll deal with you soon" said Kionzin in a particularly cold and detached fashion.

 _Meanwhile_

As Luke was washed down the river, he finally managed to grab ahold of a large piece of driftwood that was just above him and pulled himself up. As he breathed heavily for air and spat out whatever water had got inside his mouth, he clambered himself further onto the driftwood for safety. As his eyes adjusted, he found that he had drifted back into the swamp and the currents had eased up now. He noticed that the shoreline wasn't that far from him but he felt too weak to make it across.

"I can't…" breathed Luke "What am I doing here? I can't do anything…"

"Believe in yourself, Luke" said a familiar voice. Luke looked up to see the spectral form of Obi-Wan Kenobi standing over him with his hood up and looking down at him.

"Ben…I can't do this…" said Luke.

"Why are you so sure?" said Obi-Wan "A closed mind merely entraps itself, an open-mind will always find possibilities; but to learn the true difference between them requires experience"

"Ben…Obi-Wan, I led us here" said Luke "I brought us to an Imperial planet all because I wanted to capture a bounty hunter…and look what's happened"

"You did what you thought was right, Luke" said Obi-Wan "That is what I taught you, remember? You were merely following your teachings, same as any Jedi"

"I almost got Ahsoka killed out there, and I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for that" said Luke "I…I've failed"

"No, Luke; it is I who failed" said Obi-Wan "The Jedi should have seen what was coming; if we had chosen to look in the here and now instead of trying to uncover a clouded future, none of this would have happened. You merely inherited our mistakes. If only more of us were alive to help you with those mistakes"

"I know all that, but there are times when I wonder how I can go on" said Luke "All this war….all this suffering…we finally capture Vader and the Empire's showing no sign of weakening"

"Don't give up, Luke" said Obi-Wan "There will always be times when things seem lost, when you feel as if there is absolutely nothing that can fix the situation and that there is nothing you can do; I felt the exact same way when I lost Vader to the dark side. When that happened, everything the Jedi had worked so hard to achieve was undone; he was my padawan, my responsibility, and he brought us to our knees. To see what he had become with my own two eyes, it broke me. But I didn't give up, I found something else to live for; you" Luke's eyes widened. "Anakin was my friend; to commemorate his memory, I took on myself to watch over you on Tatooine. I wish I had gotten to train you more before we departed"

"Well, at least I managed to get by" said Luke.

"When faced with a challenge, there are two things one can do; either give in or keep moving forward" said Obi-Wan "It is not an easy thing to accomplish; but in time, you'll come to understand it as I have"

"I guess you're right" said Luke "But why didn't you come with us back on Death Star? Why did you let Vader—" As he looked back up, he noticed that Obi-Wan had disappeared. As he turned his head towards the riverbank, he felt himself fill up with questions. Ever since he had met Obi-Wan, the old Jedi Master had taught him much about the ways of the Jedi and the Republic prior to the Empire; knowledge that was only increased when he joined the Rebel Alliance. And yet at the same time, he couldn't help but shake the feeling that Obi-Wan wasn't telling him the whole truth. Ever since he began using the Force more frequently, he felt deep down that something was off; and yet, he wasn't entirely sure what it was. But he also knew that he shouldn't worry about it at this exact moment; so with that in mind, he let go of the driftwood and swam to shore, summoning all his remaining strength to do so. As he clambered up onto to land, he turned himself onto his back and fell unconscious.

 _Meanwhile_

As Luke slowly regained consciousness, he heard a soft yet incomprehensible voice calling out to him from far away. As the voice got closer and closer and even clearer, his eyes shot open and almost gasped.

"Skyguy, you alright?" asked a voice. Luke turned his head over towards Ahsoka who hugged him before he could even react.

"Ahsoka…how…" asked Luke.

"The moment you disappeared into the river, R2 and I snuck out without any of the guards seeing us and followed the river until we found you" replied Ahsoka "I knew you were alive…I could feel it" For a brief moment, Luke felt ashamed that he didn't feel such a feeling when he thought Durge killed Ahsoka; but his line of thought trailed off when he was briefly distracted by a peko-peko flying past them.

"Durge…have you seen him?" asked Luke.

"I'm afraid not; and if past experience has taught us anything, he's not going down that easy" said Ahsoka "C'mon, the _Shadow_ shouldn't be too far from here; we should get off this planet before the Imps get their heads together" She lifted Luke up and they started heading off into the swamp. "It's a pity. Since leaving Kowak, I was hoping to visit Naboo again at some point"

"Remind me to book a vacation once the war is over" smirked Luke. Ahsoka chuckled in response. As they passed by a family of motts playing in the undergrowth (an infant one notably chasing after a nuna), Luke took one last look at the city of Theed; and even though they left it behind them, he still questioned the familiar feeling he had experienced on the planet.

 _Meanwhile_

As Naboo royal guards filled the Theed hanger and examined the damage down to the area in Luke and Ahsoka's fight with Durge, Moff Panaka walked up to the ledge where Luke and Durge had fallen off.

"Do the security cameras show anything?" asked Panaka.

"Just this" said a Naboo guard as he walked over to Panaka with a holoscreen in hand. He rewound the recording to the moment when Durge smashed into the room and the ensuing fight he had with Luke, Ahsoka, and R2.

"So, it was the Jedi intruders after all" said Panaka "Is this really the last we have of them?"

"Apparently yes, sir" replied the Naboo guard "If they're still on this planet, they'll likely been downriver"

"I'll have to inform Imperial command about this immediately" said Panaka "In mean time, keep searching for them"

"Yes sir" said the Naboo guard. As Panaka turned to leave, he was intercepted by Kylantha.

"I've seen the damage outside the palace and here in the hanger" said Kylantha "And before you say anything, I've seen the security footage myself; so I know what happened. Where is the bounty hunter?"

"He's…unaccounted for, I'm afraid" said Panaka "He disappeared along with the Jedi; but rest assured, we're currently searching for all of them"

"I know you're trying to romanticize this; but know what's going on, Moff Panaka" said Kylantha "I know very well that bounty hunter was in the employ of the Empire" Panaka held back a frown.

"It is true, the Gen'Dai was indeed working for the Emperor" said Panaka.

"The least he could do is keep him on a leash" said Kylantha "The Emperor's made some controversial decision before, but I never thought he'd let someone just run rampant on his homeworld"

"He was a mission, apparently" said Panaka.

"What mission?" asked Kylantha.

"It was part of a greater operation to lure Rebel forces out across the galaxy" replied Panaka "He was instructed to strategically attack Rebel bases to attract their attention before leading them onto an Imperial controlled planet. It was a perfectly well thought out plan"

"I'm guessing part of it was to attack and threaten my citizens" said Kylantha

"None of us were truly aware of what the bounty hunter was going to do exactly to attract attention, even the Emperor himself was unsure" said Panaka.

"Is that so?" said Kylantha "The least your Empire could do while inhabiting our planet is making sure that bounty hunter was under control"

"I assure you, we were preparing ourselves for the worst case scenario long before he began taking hostages" said Panaka "But since we knew the plan was in motion, we decided to wait. It was once he started killing the hostages that we knew we had to take action. But it was around this time that the Rebels finally showed up; and we knew that the Emperor would be very displeased to learn that the plan he had delicately set up was all undone because of us, so we chose not to interfere"

"Why do I get the feeling you're not being completely honest?" said Kylantha.

"Like it or not, it's simply the way things; and you have to respect it regardless" said Panaka.

"The least the Emperor could do is look after his own people" said Kylantha.

"I thought you would know better than to badmouth his highness, otherwise we would never have allowed you to become queen in the first place" said Panaka "Besides, so far he's done a much better job at keeping stability and strength to the galaxy as a whole then any of your predecessors ever did. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to inform his highness the current proceedings" As he left the hanger, Kylantha frowned/

 _Meanwhile_

As an Empire of the Hand banner was placed over the entrance of the Triffian village by a pair of stormtroopers, various Imperial shuttles began landing around the area.

"What are these shuttles here for?" asked Peter.

"They are here with food and medical supplies for the colonists" said Thrawn "Many of them have been starving and sick since Ronkil's attacks, so we are here to make for it" Stormtroopers stepped out of the shuttle with crate after crate and began handing them over to the Triffian colonists. One stormtrooper brought a crate over to a crowd of Triffian children who squeaked excitedly and jumped continuously. The stormtrooper then removed their helmet to reveal that they were a Human woman.

"Okay, so who here wants some food?" asked the stormtrooper as she began pulling food out of the crate. The Triffian children began to lunge for it. "Eh, one at a time! Don't worry; you'll all get some of it"

"I don't think I've seen anything like this" said Peter as he and Thrawn walked back to their shuttle with their platoon of stormtroopers.

"It is what the Empire was meant to be; firm but fair, strong with compassion" said Thrawn "In is unfortunate the Emperor is content to give the Empire's military might over to power hungry warlords and people of questionable authority" As the shuttle took off, Thrawn brought up a holographic map of the galaxy with logos marked on each planet to mark their faction. "You should all be proud of yourselves, men; thanks to our efforts, a new era has begun for this planet" He zoomed up to the hologram of Irkalla. "An era of peace and unity" He marked it with an Empire of the Hand logo. "This planet is now part of something much greater. And for the sake of the galaxy, we will unity when the greatest enemy comes"

 _Meanwhile on the Executor_

Kionzin stood aboard the bridge of the _Executor_ with the Imperial field commander kneeling before him with his head lowered in shame. The Imperial officers who were not busy with the controls of the ship had gathered around them and were looking on with horror on what might happen next.

"Explain your actions one more time, commander" said Kionzin.

"My actions?" said the Imperial field commander "The ship was heavily damaged and if we continued fighting we'd only end up dead. That's it; nothing more, nothing less"

"So let me get this straight, despite the fact that I clearly outrank you and despite the fact that our mission was clearly to capture the Rebel leaders at any cost, you decided to carry out an order of your own accord that jeopardize the mission and went against my orders" said Kionzin. He began to subtlety flicker his tail around the field commander in a toying fashion almost as if he was playing with his food. "I don't that being part of standard training, unless it has been changed without my knowledge"

"You probably would have ended up dead too" said the Imperial field commander "The ship was going to fall apart if it took any more damage" Kionzin lifted his head up by the chin with his hand.

"I think you underestimate my ability to survive" said Kionzin "I've survived much worse than a simple ship crash before"

"Perhaps you would have made it through, but I doubt the rest of us would have" said the Imperial field commander "Our lives were all endangered and we were trapped on a ship that was falling apart from your battles with that Jedi, so I ordered the pilots to retreat before you'd get us all killed. I saved us from your actions"

"You saved "us" from my actions?" said Kionzin "Not the best thing to say to your superior"

"You may be my superior, but you hardly have any authority given your choices" said the Imperial field commander.

"Poor choice of words" said Kionzin before grabbing the field commander by the throat "Do you think I'm worried or even moved by your concerns? Do you think your lives are enough reason for me to abandon everything? The Emperor gave me a mission to give him the Alliance's leaders and now, because of you, I've failed. So you thought losing everything I worked hard for was worth it for your own life? I think you'll find that there are things worse than death!" He let the field commander go and shoved him away. "To tell the truth, beforehand I was actually considered sparing your worthless life and sending you back to the academy; but now, because of your statements, I've reconsidered" He ignited one end his lightsaber pike and started slowly walking over to him.

"P-Please, general" said the Imperial field commander "You don't have to do this, surely"

"You're concerned for your own life?" said Kionzin "Perhaps you should have considered that before you decided to cross me. I may not have what I came for, but I can at least set an example with you!" He raised his blade, ready to strike down.

"Wait!" exclaimed Piett as he stepped towards Kionzin.

"What is it?!" snarled Kionzin.

"I've seen this commander before; he's new and he still has much to experience" said Piett "I understand that he made a fatal error, but surely you can't just kill him like that"

"Hmm, I suppose death would be unfit" said Kionzin. As the field commander breathed a sigh of relief, Kionzin quickly grabbed him by the left arm and cut it clean off with his blade. As the field commander screamed out in pain, Kionzin turned his lightsaber off and placed it away. "That should be enough" He turned and left the bridge, leaving the officers around him both shocked and confused.

 _Meanwhile_

Maris sat to the side of Mon Mothma's office and watched as she, Ackbar, Leia, and Fey'lya talked amongst themselves. At that moment, Kota walked up to her.

"Maris, I think we need to talk" said Kota.

"Talk about what exactly?" asked Maris

"Your…new ability" said Kota "How you were able to crush Kionzin's arm with the Force"

"I swear, I've never done anything like that before; especially back on Felucia" said Maris.

"Calm down, I'm not accusing you of anything; I just want to know what happened" said Kota "So if you haven't performed this technique before, tell me what you experienced exactly"

"Well, I saw Kionzin grabbed ahold of Leia and it angered me and you told me to calm down and I didn't and that caused Kionzin to attack Leia" said Maris "That's things get weird; for a split second, I could feel something in his arm. As I felt it…something told me I should reach out with the Force and crush it"

"Shatterpoint" said Kota.

"Shatterpoint?" said Maris "Shaak Ti mentioned that to me at one point on Felucia. What is it?"

"Shatterpoints are weak spots in the Force detectable only to a few Force-sensitive individuals" said Kota "Mace Windu was one of the most famous to utilize it. It allows the user to see fault lines in the Force that can be manipulated"

"So this power, it allows you to crush weak spots on people and objects?" said Maris.

"Not just that; with enough power and knowledge, they can even change the course of events" said Kota "It is one of the rarest Force abilities out there, and also one of the most dangerous. Shatterpoints can cause great destruction towards the people or objects they are on; and if you're not careful, you might end up hurting your allies in the process"

"Right" said Maris "So, I guess I need training in the matter"

"Like I said, it's a rare Force ability which only appears in individuals born with it" said Kota "But what I can tell you is this; be mindful of your next move and try to make sure the shatterpoints you do interact with are ones that won't create an action that you will regret"

"A cryptic "be mindful of your action"" said Maris "What else is new in Jedi teachings?"

"I wish I could be of more help but…" said Kota before he began listening in on the conversation behind him "But I…"

"But what exactly?" asked Maris.

"Just a second" replied Kota as he turned to move over to Mon Mothma's desk.

"That deranged creature threatened to kill me and the rest of you" said Fey'lya.

"I know that!" snapped Leia "He was the one who held lightsaber to my throat, remember? But still, you can't be serious when you propose this idea"

"I am serious" said Fey'lya "If we move the planetary defenses for Corellia off to the frontlines, we will gain more firepower to fight back against the Empire and put an end to these so called "big bads" running their army"

"And in the process you would leave Corellia open for attack" said Ackbar "We've been attacked twice by the Empire—"

"And we were ineffective to fight back against them" said Fey'lya "We're stretched so thinly across the galaxy that both our offensive and defensive stand on a knife's edge. If we moved all our military and navy to defend our controlled planets, we'll only attract unwanted attention from the Empire; but if we work entirely upon the offensive, we'll might just be able to fight them back"

"And in the process we risk losing everything if this "offensive" fails" said Mon Mothma "We may have become more than simple hit-and-run attacks, but it's still not enough compared to the enormity of the Empire spread across the galaxy"

"Besides; if anything attracted the Empire here, it was that meeting you held about your "election" that you initiated" said Kota.

"Precisely" said Ackbar "This incident should prove how faulty the idea of having an election at this time is" Fey'lya slowly scratched his bearded chin.

"Perhaps these deliberations have slowed down everything down" said Fey'lya "Very well; the election's provisions shall proceed as soon as possible. I bid you good luck, my competitor" He stood up and left the room.

"I have a feeling we should keep a close eye on him" said Kota.

"Yes, we should" said Mon Mothma.

 _Meanwhile on Hoth_

Ahsoka stood in front of a railing in Echo Base, continuously dangling her old padawan braid over the edge before pulling it back up again into her palm.

"Careful, you might drop it eventually" said Luke as he walked over to her.

"You'd know more than anyone else that I'm too good for that" said Ahsoka "I must say, I'm surprised the medical droids let you out this early"

"I think I may have grabbed onto the cliff face various times as I fell and that slowed my fall" said Luke "Just needed to be warmed up, get a quick check-up, told to be careful, and I was off"

"I suppose that's a plus to being Force-sensitive, you can take a lot more punishment" said Ahsoka. She began walking off down a corridor near them.

"Where are you going?" asked Luke.

"Oh; when I got back here, I saw the name of an old friend on the medical center's patient list" replied Ahsoka "I was going to check him out but I felt like making sure you were okay first. Wanna' come?"

"Yeah, sure" said Luke. The two of them began walking down the hallway towards the medical center. "You know, your friend may have left by now"

"I know, but he might still be here" said Ahsoka "Besides, I've really got to see him" They entered the medical center where Master Sinube sat on his bed with his cane in hand. "Master Sinube!"

"Huh?" said Sinube as he turned his head around and looked at them "Oh…ha ha, I never forget a face; it's good to see you, young Ahsoka. My, have you grown!"

"Wait, you two know each other?" said Luke.

"Yeah, he was one of the Jedi at the old temple" said Ahsoka "Wait, do you two know each other?"

"We met during the Battle of Mygeeto" replied Luke "He said he just came by to see me and how I was going"

"Mygeeto?" said Ahsoka "That was when we first met"

"I did tell you that help was on the way" said Sinube.

"So you knew that Ahsoka was coming" said Luke.

"Yes, I did" said Sinube "Rachi Sitra was very keen to get you two together" He slowly and shakingly pulled himself up using his cane.

"Are you alright?" asked Luke "You don't have to get up, you can—"

"I think I've had enough rest" said Sinube "Hearing of the exploits of you two reminded me of how good life is; and it has motivated me to get back to my mission"

"Mission?" said Luke "What mission?"

"It is something between Rachi Sitra and I" replied Sinube "Just looking for some old Jedi Artefacts that she cannot go looking for due to her duties in the Alliance. Nothing of interest to you"

"Then why did you stop by here then?" asked Luke.

"Two reasons" replied Sinube "Even when you take the greatest of journeys, you need to rest at some point or another"

"You sound just like your old self" said Ahsoka.

"And secondly, I wanted to see you again" said Sinube "I wished to see how much you had progressed since I last saw you; and from what I've heard, you really have" He began moving slowly over to the door.

"What are you doing now?" asked Ahsoka.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow and I'll like to spend the rest of my time here having a look around" said Sinube "When you get to my age, you start appreciating how the world around you looks in all its details"

"Will we ever get to see you again?" asked Luke.

"You just might" said Sinube "And you will…once I'm done with my mission, that is" He exited the room.

"I'm worried about him" said Ahsoka "No one his age and in his condition should be out there all by themselves"

"I'm worried too, but he's still a Jedi and he is staying away from the frontlines" said Luke.

"Yeah, I suppose that should count for something" said Ahsoka.

"Although, he could use more rest" said Luke.

"We could use more rest as well" said Ahsoka as she sat down on a chair "But I guess we've got our jobs to do and so does Master Sinube" Luke sat on a seat next to her.

"So, Ahsoka…this may sound like an odd question; but during your time in the Clone Wars, did you ever know someone named Queen Amidala?" Ahsoka's head immediately shot around to him.

"How do you know that name?" asked Ahsoka.

"Back at the tavern, I was talking with Pooja and she mentioned something about a previous queen named Amidala who freed Naboo from an organization called the Trade Federation. I was just wondering, would you happen to know anything about her?"

"Well, I'd have to find a place to start first" said Ahsoka.

 _Meanwhile on Coruscant_

Within the darkly lit throne room of the Imperial palace, the Emperor sat atop his enormous throne looking down upon a female figure kneeling towards him with her head down.

"Lord Vader is still incarcerated and Kionzin has failed to capture the Rebel Leaders; but I have work for you to do, my dear" said the Emperor. The female figure looked up at him with her emerald green eyes through her wild strands of red hair.

 **Author's note** : So that's it for the _Fire Across the Galaxy_ five-parter. I hope everyone enjoyed it (although I do feel I may have dropped too many EU references); and I hope I'll be able to publish chapters from this point on a regular basis. Anyways, until next time!


	6. To Free the Dark Lord

**Author's note #1** : Sorry about the long delay, I've been having complications in my own life and dedicating time to writing was hard and writer's block didn't help. I just hope I came through in the end.

 **Author's note #2** : I forgot to mention this in the last chapter; but the part where Durge emerges from the wreckage and fire was a reference to _Terminator_.

 **To Free the Dark Lord**

 _In the aftermath of two Imperial attacks on Corellia, various sections of the Rebel Alliance have become to question Mon Mothma's position as Chief-of-State and distrust has quickly fallen upon the ranks! Within the doubt, Bothan councilman Borsk Fey'lya hopes to use it to his advantage and has arranged an election to take place between himself and the current Chief-of-State. As both sides quickly attempt to gather support, Princess Leia helps Mon Mothma out with her election campaign to keep her position._

 _Meanwhile, Rahm Kota has travelled to Corellia's moon of Gus Treta where Sith Lord and Imperial commander Darth Vader lies incarcerated within a maximum security prison! After weeks of being preoccupied with Imperial activity, he has left the frontlines hoping to interrogate the Dark Lord and gain vital information to turn the tide of the war! But can he achieve this or will Vader escape their clutches and once more be out of their reach…_

 _Gus Treta_

A T-6 shuttle descended down to the surface of Gus Treta and landed on a landing pad outside a small watchtower-like building with several Rebel honor guards stationed on it. Rahm Kota exited the shuttle and walked up to a caucasian Human man with blue eyes, spiky blonde hair, and an aged and veteran feel to him and wore a Rebel officer uniform with armored accessories.

"General Kota, it is an honor to meet you" said the man "I'm Commander Dalkir Utharu, I'm the warden of the facility. Mon Mothma informed me of why you're here. Please, this way; I'll take you to him"

"Thank you, commander" said Kota. He followed Utharu up to the door of the building on the landing pad where an elevator arrived up for them and they got inside.

"So, do you really think you'll get him to crack?" asked Utharu as the elevator brought them down underground.

"We'll find out soon enough" replied Kota "I've waited for this ever since we captured him"

"Good luck with that" said Utharu "My men have tried extracting information from him beforehand, to no avail of course. Now they're too afraid to even go near him, especially since we moved him into his new higher-security cell; they even take caution when watching him on the security cameras" The elevator reached the cell block and they got out. "I supposed since you're a Jedi, facing him will be less of an issue than it was for me and my men. Even so, are you sure you still want to go in now?

"Vader is Supreme Commander of the Imperial military; he knows confidential information greater than any standard Imperial commander" said Kota "Information shared only between him, the Emperor, and a select few individuals within the entire Empire. The Emperor is always planning something with a long term goal in mind and no doubt Vader has a piece of it. Whatever it may be is, we can use what we find out from him to gain an upper hand in this conflict and put an end to the Emperor's schemes" They walked onto a transport platform where Utharu gestured to a rebel guard at the controls who activated the transport. They sped through the cell block past all the empty cells until they finally reached a high security door at the end of the room.

"Step on in" said Utharu "Just use your palm print on the panel to open the door and from there it will be self-explanatory. We'll be keeping watch over you in case something goes wrong" Kota walked up to a panel on the wall next to the door and placed his palm onto it. The panel scanned his hand which triggered an affirmative beep which caused the door to slide open. Kota stepped through with the door sliding behind him and walked out along a single-file skyway over a dark abyss and over to a box-like containment cell with a single locked-filled door as the entry. Kota extended his arms out, force-gripped various portions of the locks, and unlocked it using a combination on the locks. The door slowly opened to reveal Darth Vader at the middle of the cell, bound by various locks and straps that kept him in place.

"So you have finally decided to pay me a visit, Master Kota" said Vader "You're later than I had expected"

"Found myself occupied with cleaning up your Empire's trouble, but I managed to get enough free time to speak to you face-to-face" said Kota.

"If you're trying to gain information off me, you're wasting your time" said Vader "I made sure those other rebels who interrogated me understood the consequence of doing so"

"Which is why they moved you to the intense security section like I told them to do the moment you were incarcerated here" said Kota "I read over the report more than once; and from what I heard, it wasn't pretty"

"You can't even imagine it" said Vader "You think your prison's impenetrable, that it will somehow keep me locked away forever, and you can rest assured that I am no longer a threat to you. I expected such naïve dreams of Rebel Alliance idealists, but never from you"

"I designed this prison complex myself along with Bail Organa and Garm Bel-Iblis at the beginning of the Galactic Civil War for holding powerful Force-sensitive prisoners like yourself, Vader" said Kota "Despite the former's death and the latter's departure from the Alliance, we finally gained enough resources to build it after the destruction of the Death Star. You've been given the worst of the treatment; no light, no view, no space. I designed this section with you in mind, so I'm proud it finally holds you like I intended it to"

"You can boast all you won't but it doesn't diminish the power I wield" said Vader "Even when bound and shackled to this cell, I am still the Dark Lord who led the Empire's armies to the downfall of the Jedi. You cannot hold me forever; eventually, I will find a way out of here whether it be by my own means of by help from the outside. You had better savior this moment of power while it still lasts"

"Quite self-important, aren't you" said Kota "I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but the Empire recently assaulted Corellia and they made no effort to find you. I guess your capture and safety really aren't that much of a concern for his highness. I'll be back soon" He left the cell.

 _Meanwhile_

Utharu and several security guards watched as Kota left the cell from the security cameras.

"Wow…" said one of the security guards "That could of gone better"

"He's probably working on something" said Utharu "We'll hear it from him when he comes back" At that moment, Kota entered. "So how's the interrogation going?"

"Give it time" said Kota "He's used to physical and mental pain, he lives with it every day; so standard interrogation techniques are mostly ineffective against him. But if I can keep him talking long enough, we might be able to gather enough intel to piece together whatever he's hiding. Sooner or later, something will slip out and we'll use it to our advantage. I'll inform the Alliance leaders of my progress" As he exited the room, Vader turned his head around and looked up at the view of one of the security cameras"

 _Meanwhile on the Executor_

"It is unfortunate to say the least that Kionzin failed on his rather straightforward mission" said the Emperor's hologram as MOXAL projected it "With their leadership severely impaired, the Rebellion could have been fractured to pieces and then sweeping up the remains would be easy. Now it seems we will be going around in circles even more; and to think, I actually had a great deal of faith in his success"

"Your highness; with all due respect, it doesn't have to be like this" said Hathora "Our intel shows that Lord Vader is still alive and in Rebel custody somewhere in the Corellian system. If we can just find the prison, we can attack it and free him and then everything can go back to normal"

"Vader was foolish enough to attempt to take Corellia on his own and was captured by the Rebels because of it" said the Emperor "He does not deserve my sympathy; besides, I know that he is too tough to simple give in to rebel interrogation. Consider the humiliation his punishment for going against my wishes and failing me in doing so. I see no reason in spending time and resources for it"

"Vader was our greatest commander; without him—" said Hathora.

"I agree with you, your highness" said Admiral Ozzel.

"What!?" exclaimed Hathora.

"We spent months planning that attack on Corellia" said Ozzel "We only accelerated it because of the knowledge that the Rebel leaders would be coming together for a meeting soon. It became a gamble and we lost; if we try to attack any time soon now, they'll be well on guard and ready for us. It would be foolish to try"

"Well spoken, admiral" said the Emperor "We may have greater resources and numbers than the Rebellion does, but we have better things to do with them to simply help free a captive commander"

"Okay then; if freeing Vader is out of the question, then why don't we instate a new supreme commander" said Hathora "Finding someone to replace him in his position is bound to be better than relying on various Grand Generals"

"While I do not intend to free Vader soon, it does not mean I never will" said the Emperor "I will free him, but only once I'm certain he has truly experienced the depths of his failure"

"Seriously?" said Hathora "All of this all for some punishment?"

"Not just punishment" said the Emperor "A lesson. A lesson on why he should never attempt anything without my authorization. Continue with your work, admiral"

"Acknowledged, my emperor" said Ozzel. The hologram of the Emperor turned off. "You heard his highness; we'll return to our regular task, seeking out Rebel bases and destroying them"

"Hang on, who put you in charge?!" snapped Hathora as she stepped in front of him.

"You heard the Emperor; since I am an admiral, I am in charge of this fleet in Lord Vader's absence" replied Ozzel "Do you have a problem with that"

"Well; I worked with Vader personally, I was his assassin!" snapped Hathora "There's a reason why he gave me the title of Shadow Hand; while it was never official, it was basically his way of making me his second-in-command"

"Well, I "officially" outrank you" said Ozzel "No matter how glamorous your title is, you basically held all the power of a standard commander; and even then, you barely directed anyone. I however as an admiral have an entire fleet under my command. In fact, Lord Vader's presence here was merely to issue directions; if he were never here, I alone would make all the decisions and execute them to my design"

"At least I could go out onto the field" said Hathora "Not like you!"

"Try to calm down" said Piett whilst stepping in "You're taking this a little too personally"

"Besides, I doubt you'd last long in command" said Ozzel.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" asked Hathora.

"With Vader, you've been quite irrational" said Ozzel "Whenever someone questions you, you snapped almost immediately. It's pretty clear that you don't do well under pressure and without your "master" to guide you, that's not desirable qualities for a leader. You have to face facts; without Vader, your position holds less meaning" Hathora bared her teeth in anger and grabbed him by the collar with her right hand.

"Say that again and I'll break you in two!" snarled Hathora. As she tightened her grip around Ozzel, her hand slowly began to turn silver with grey markings.

"Try to calm down!" exclaimed Piett "Please, we're only trying to—" Suddenly, Hathora force-choked him and threw him into a wall.

"SHUT UP!" snarled Hathora. She stared angrily into Ozzel's eyes and gripped tighter and tighter onto him, her pupils slowly flickering red. After several moments on intense breathing, she let go of him and exited the bridge.

"I don't believe it!" said Ozzel "I actually thought she was going to kill me. What's wrong with her?"

"She's been like this ever since her operation" said Piett "I've seen recordings of the end result of what they did and it looks like it made her unstable. Now I really do want Vader back"

"Why's that?" asked Ozzel.

"Without him, who's going to keep her on a leash?" replied Piett.

 _Meanwhile_

As Hathora walked down the corridor, she looked down at her silver hand and clenched it.

"No no!" snapped Hathora as she banged it continuously against the wall "Go away! GO away, damn it!" She sighed. "As if another of those outbursts wasn't worse enough, now it's not going away while I still haven't lost it!" She entered Vader's quarters, leaned her back onto his meditation chamber, and slowly slid down, burying her face into her hands. "Why'd you do this to me, master? Why…father?" It was at that moment that she heard the footsteps of someone walking up to her; and when she looked up, she saw MOXAL standing over her. "Oh; it's just you, faceless. Lurking as usual; can't you be busy filing information or creeping someone else out?" At that moment, MOXAL grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her up. "Ow ow ow! Hey, what are you—" It was then that MOXAL placed a finger over his face to tell her to be quiet. "What do you want?" MOXAL let go of her wrist, walked over to the door, and gestured out. "You want me to…go with you?" MOXAL nodded. "Well, I suppose it's worth a look" She walked over to him and they exited the room.

 _Meanwhile on Corellia_

Mon Mothma typed on a computer at her desk while Leia paced up and down the room.

"We should have you make public appearances" said Leia "We should get you out on relief missions. We should show the people that you're not afraid to go out there and help others. That's something I doubt Fey'lya would ever do and we have to prove it. Yes, we have to prove it. We have to—"

"Leia, could you please calm down" said Mon Mothma.

"How can I calm down in a moment like this?" asked Leia "You saw how Fey'lya was able to smooth talk people; he was able to convince the other Rebel Leaders that an election was necessary, we can't let him do something like that again"

"I know that" said Mon Mothma "But if I'm going to win this election, I will win by my rules. That's why I have to keep a level head above all else, as opposed to sinking to his level. And I'd suggest the same for you as well; in the state that you're in, surely you should take the rest of the day off and have C-3PO keep notes for you"

"3PO's out with Han on a mission right now" said Leia "I just can't stand the thought of Fey'lya running the Alliance

"Nor can I" said Mon Mothma "But as I've made it clear various times; if I'm going to beat Fey'lya, it will be by my rules. If not, then I'm not better than him; just like if we descend to the Empire's levels, we're no better than them. That's why I'm working hard on it"

"And so am I" said Leia "That's why I'm helping you out" Mon Mothma sighed.

"I understand, Leia" said Mon Mothma "But you're clearly getting far too pressured by the situation, and I'm getting worried about it"

"Well, maybe I'm just concerned with the thought of placing command of the Alliance in the wrong hands" said Leia.

"I'm just as concerned as you are" said Mon Mothma "But simply being concerned isn't enough to get us through. To beat Fey'lya, we need a clear head and that's something I'm afraid you don't have at the moment"

"Then what do you suggest I do about it?" asked Leia. Mon Mothma thought for a moment before an idea materialized in her head.

"You know, there's someone I was intending for you to meet for quite some time" said Mon Mothma "And I just heard that he's currently on Corellia"

"What are you suggesting, some sort of date?" asked Leia.

"If you put it like that, yes" replied Mon Mothma "You have the rest of the day off to unwind and clear your head, I'll handle the campaign myself for the time being"

 _Meanwhile on Coruscant_

Hathora descended the _Lambda_ -class shuttle she was piloting down into the city of Coruscant before descending down towards the dark abyss of its underworld and landing on the nearest landing pad. She took one look outside and the squalid and murky environment around her and rubbed her head in frustration.

"Great; whatever you're leading me to, I'm going to have to walk through the scum of the galaxy to get to it" said Hathora. She stood up and walked over to the passenger section where she quickly picked up a black glove and slipped it over her right hand, covering the silver skin. "That should keep it hidden" MOXAL handed her a datapad with a map of the nearby streets on it and a red dot on a particular apartment. "Whatever you have sent me to do, it had better be worth it" She grabbed a black cloak and pulled it over herself and lowered the entry ramp. "Here it goes" She pulled the hood over her head and tucked in her tendrils before stepping out the shuttle and out into the street. As she followed the map and walked through the gloomy environment, she covered her nose and mouth at the revolting smell around her. "This place is just gross!"

"Get used to it, honey" said a female Weequay who leaned against a wall and watched her. Hathora clenched her fists at the remark but didn't retaliate as she knew it would only attract unwanted attention. As she looked around at her surroundings, almost everything she saw repulsed her. To her right there was a café where the meals were served by Twi'leks and Zeltrons wearing skimpy clothing, to her left was a crowd of people cheering over a small ring where a pair of male nunas fought each other with knives attached to their feet, and all around her were posters and holoposters for all manner of sleazy or crude advertisements.

"The moment I get the chance, I'll have this whole place raided" said Hathora quietly to herself. She followed the map until it brought her to a dark apartment complex that appeared to be abandoned. "Well; here it is, apparently" She walked up to the building doors and peeked inside. There was no one present inside so she stepped in. "So where to now?" At that moment, she felt someone grabbed her by the shoulder from behind and the red blade of a lightsaber ignited in front of her neck.

"You should really stop talking to yourself" said a voice from behind her "It will probably just get you killed one day" Hathora carefully turned her head around and saw a hooded figure standing behind her holding onto her shoulder with a lightsaber at her throat.

"So, I'm guessing you're the one I'm supposed to find" said Hathora.

"Ordinarily, I would assume it was Vader who sent you here" said the hooded figure "But given how he's locked up, it must have been his droid"

"How would some creep like you know that Vader is captured?" said Hathora.

"You could say we have history" replied the hooded figure as they pulled their hood down to reveal themselves to be Barriss Offee.

"Sith spit!" said Hathora.

 _Meanwhile_

Leia sat at a table within a Corellian restaurant where she waited for the person Mon Mothma had arranged to meet with her; but so far, no one had arrived to meet her. It had been almost an hour and she was beginning to doubt that anyone was coming.

"Corellian wine?" asked a Rodian waiter.

"Ha?" said Leia as she snapped out of her train of thoughts "Oh, no thanks"

"Very well" said the Rodian waiter "This table was booked for two; but seeing as how no one else has come, would you like me to take the other ch—"

"Oh, no thank you" replied Leia "Just…give him more time"

"Very well" said the Rodian waiter before moving away. Leia sighed to herself

"It was nice of her to set this all up for me, but it's starting to feel like a waste of time" said Leia to herself quietly "Where is he? If he's going to take any longer, I'm—"

"Sorry I'm late, your highness" said a voice. Leia turned to see Lieutenant Orin sitting down at her table. "I haven't spent much time on Corellia

"Excuse me, are you…" asked Leia.

"Huh?" replied Orin "Oh, excuse me for my…unprofessionalism. I was in a rush and…well…"

"It's okay, I understand it" said Leia "So, I'm guessing you're the one Mon Mothma told me about"

"Yes" replied Orin before clearing his throat "Allow me to introduce myself—Lieutenant Orin Toa. It's a pleasure to meet you at last, Princess Leia. I've heard so much about you"

"It's nice to meet you too, Orin" said Leia as she extended her arm out. Orin slowly took it and shook it.

"So, what would you wish to order for lunch?" asked Orin as he sat down in front of her

"Let's look at the menu to see what's available" said Leia as she picked up and opened the menu in front of her.

"Right, your highness" said Orin. Leia sighed the uttered "that word". "Is something wrong, your highness? Was it something I said?"

"Well, yes and no" said Leia "I know we've only just met and I hate unloading my issues upon other people, but I would actually prefer it if you treated me like just a normal girl. Is that okay?"

"Sure, of course" said Orin "Any particular reason why?"

"Well, I know we've only just met and it feels like I'm putting a lot on you, but…everyone treats me like royalty all the time" said Leia.

"Is it really that bad?" asked Orin.

"I wouldn't necessarily call it bad by any means, it just makes me feel uncomfortable at times" replied Leia "I mean yes; it's nice to be respected, but sometimes it feels demanding because it reminds you of all the responsibilities you have. And sometimes, it makes you feel isolated from everyone else because it feels like they don't look at you as a person. It feels like they look at you like…you're "something", something important that you have to respect regardless. After a while it just feels like people don't care about the real you, they just care about you for your title. Mon Mothma set this up so I can cool off, so I would appreciate it if we can be a bit more casual"

"Of course, your highness" said Orin.

"Please, just call me Leia" said Leia.

 _Meanwhile_

Within an apartment at the abandoned apartment complex, Hathora sat at a table with Barriss sitting opposite to her.

"So let me get this straight, you're an Imperial inquisitor who worked closely with Vader?" said Hathora.

"Former Inquisitor" said Barriss "I gave up that title after the Great Jedi Purge; I saw no purpose in being part of the Empire if the Jedi were no longer the "prime threat""

"But still, how can you just give up the position of an Inquisitor?" asked Hathora "The power, the influence"

"Seems irresistible, doesn't it?" said Barriss "But I only ever took up the job because I have problems with the Jedi Order, monumental ones; so wiping out its remnants was an offer I could not turn down. However; once the Emperor officially ended the Jedi Purge and labeled the remaining Jedi as no longer the major threat they once were, there was no reason to continue working for them"

"Really?" said Hathora "Other Inquisitors stayed on in the Empire, why leave just because the Empire had less interest in killing Jedi?"

"Why stay attached to a position if what you had hoped to achieve with it had been minored?" said Barriss "The power and influence was nice, but it wasn't what I joined the Empire for"

"So how did you even join the Empire to begin with?" asked Hathora.

"I crossed paths with Vader on Telos" replied Barriss "The Emperor had sent him to take down a rogue Dark Jedi who was causing trouble for the Empire so I decided to help him out. Afterwards, he offered me a position as a Jedi Hunter; I joined the Inquisitorius and quickly rose through the ranks to High Inquisitor. After I left, I took up work as a contract killer, only taking on the most dangerous and confidential work that no one else would agree to. Honestly; I'm disappointed he never told you anything about me"

"Well, I guess he didn't think it was that important for me to know individual Force-sensitives in the Empire" said Hathora.

"True; but considering all the work together, I would have to be his personal favorite" said Barriss. Emerl clenched her fists at the sound of that. At that moment, Barriss abruptly stood up and headed for the door. "Well, catching up with Vader's new apprentice has been good and all; but it's to get down to business"

"What do you mean?" asked Hathora.

"Vader's imprisoned, you're upset about it, and his droid sent you here" said Barriss "It all leads to one thing—we're going to free him"

"I thought you said you were done with the Empire" said Hathora.

"I merely said I left because the Empire no longer gave me what I desired" said Barriss "But times have changed; I had a run in with an old friend not long ago and I've been having a rethink about the subject"

"Even so, how do you expect to free him without the rest of the Empire?" said Hathora "I tried convincing the Emperor to free him but he wouldn't have it"

"You do have a lot to learn" said Barriss "If you're ever going to have your way with the world, you'd better stop waiting for someone's permission and do it yourself"

"Well; in that case, how do you expect us to take on a maximum security prison designed to contain Force users all by ourselves?" asked Hathora. Barriss smiled evilly.

"Leave it to me" replied Barriss.

 _Later_

Kota stood behind the security camera room and watched Vader carefully with the others.

"Watching at him like this makes me feel uneasy" said one of the guards at the controls "I keep feeling like he's about to do something"

"Well get used to it" said another guard "We've got half an hour until this shift ends" The first guard sighed.

"I never knew this transfer would be so nerve-racking" said the first guard.

"Well, we are guarding the most dangerous man alive" said the second guard. At that moment, Kota held his head. "Surely that should give you the impression of—"

"You two, quit the banter and get back to work" said Utharu "If he makes any suspicious moves, we need to know about it. And if you two miss it, then—" It was then that he noticed Kota clutch the wall. "General Kota, are you alright?"

"I sense something…" replied Kota "It's a dark presence…a disturbance in the Force…we have to stay on guard in case of intruders"

"Acknowledged" said Utharu. He pressed the intercom button on the console. "All personnel; thanks to General Kota, we have reason to believe that there will be intruders in the facility and I don't need to tell you what that means so stay on guard at all times and don't let any intruders get past you. Vader's not escaping on my watch"

 _Meanwhile_

Hathora lay on the top of a hill far away from Vader's prison and watched the guards patrol around it with a pair of electrobinoculars.

"Quite a few of them" said Hathora.

"Those are just the outside patrols, and I guarantee it won't be anything compared to what lies inside" said Barriss "But guards are guards; they cannot sense the Force, they rely purely upon what they see and hear"

"So what's your plan to evade them?" asked Hathora.

"This is where our small numbers comes to our advantage" replied Barriss "If we had brought a garrison with us, no doubt the sentries would have spotted us and sound the alarm. Because of this, we were able to land in an isolated and hidden position without being noticed. Now as for the infiltration itself, I developed many stealth techniques within the Force from my days on the run from the Jedi and have learnt to use them properly; since the guards are not Force-sensitive, I can sneak past them without being sensed. However, they are only the lesser part of the defense"

"What do you mean by that?" asked Hathora.

"While you were busy watching the guards, I reached out with the Force and sensed something" said Barriss "Jedi Master Kota"

"Kota's here?" said Hathora.

"Yes" said Barriss "There will be no fooling him, he's too experienced a Jedi Master to not see through a deception. Fortunately however, there is a way around it"

"What is it then?" asked Hathora. Suddenly, Barriss began force-choking her and lifted her up. "What…What are you doing?"

"You're the distraction" replied Barriss "Apologies in advance, but I doubt you would have had the stealth skills to follow me in and you would have only slowed me down. At least this way, you're of some use" She force-threw Hathora so far that she landed face first into the landing platform.

"What was that!" exclaimed a rebel honor guard as he and the other patrolling guards rushed over. As they approached Hathora, she slowly began to pull herself up. Her right arm and shoulder appeared to have been broken in the crash and blood was dripping from her mouth.

"Is that a…Mikkian?" said an honor guard.

"She should be dead" said another honor guard

"Keep a distance, everyone" said another honor guards "I've seen this one on reports, she's Vader's assassin. I think we just found our intruder. Commander Utharu, we've found an intruder and cornered her; she's—"

"Hey, something's happening to her" said an honor guard. Hathora slowly straightened herself up on her hands and knees and her arm and shoulder clicked back into position. Suddenly, her eyes shot open and they were red.

"My word!" exclaimed an honor guard. Hathora, now fully enraged, lunged at him and slashed him in two with her lightsabers.

"What's going on?" asked Utharu through one of the honor guard "What's happening with the intruder?"

"The intruder, it's Vader's assassin" replied the honor guard "She's attacking us and she's…AHHHH!" Hathora stabbed him through the back.

 _Meanwhile_

"She's what?" said Utharu into his comlink "This isn't good; Vader's assassin must have come in an attempt to free him"

"It seems that way" said Kota "Still, I suspect there's more to this than meets the eye. I'll go outside and incapacitate Hathora; I'll make sure she's locked up in one of those cells just like her master. You gather together the remaining guards and place them around key positions, especially Vader's cell"

"On it" said Utharu. Kota rushed out of the room to gather a group of guards. "You two, stay on alert and inform me and Kota of any suspicious activity" He rushed out of the room. As Kota ran down the hallways, he pressed a button on his wrist.

 _Meanwhile_

As Mon Mothma typed at her computer, a red light flashed on a panel on her desk.

"Oh no!" said Mon Mothma "Why did this have to happen now!"

 _Meanwhile_

"It must be quite an experience to work alongside Jedi" said Orin as he and Leia enjoyed their lunch.

"And very rare one nowadays" said Leia "My father was a friend of the Jedi; and while I was growing up on Alderaan, he always used to tell me stories about the adventures he used to have with them" As she mentioned her father, her smile began to fade.

"My dad met a Jedi once" said Orin.

"Really, who?" asked Leia.

"A legendary Jedi Master named Kit Fisto" replied Orin "Perhaps you've heard of him"

"Father told me about him" said Leia "He was one of the last members of the Jedi Council during the Clone Wars. So how did he and your father meet?"

"He was visiting his homeplanet of Glee Anselm to inspect a Force-sensitive child there" replied Orin "It turns out it was a cousin of mine on my father's side. He was still too young to be taken to the Jedi temple so he merely added his name to the list of Force-sensitive children to keep track of him"

"So what happened to your cousin?" asked Leia.

"He was eventually kidnapped by a bounty hunter but the Jedi rescued him and brought him back to the temple" replied Orin "We never heard from him since"

"You know, it's actually been quite a good afternoon" said Leia "I've really enjoyed it, it's nice to talk to someone for once and not have feel—"

"Leia, do you hear me?" asked Mon Mothma through Leia's comlink "Leia?"

"What is it?" asked Leia into her comlink.

"Code: Red on Gus Treta" replied Mon Mothma.

"What?!" exclaimed Leia "How is that even—"

"Never mind that now, Kota needs assistance quick" replied Mon Mothma "We have to assemble troops quickly to neutralize the situation"

"Got it" said Leia as she stood up from the table "Sorry, Orin; this may seem a bit abrupt, but there's a situation that I have to deal with immediately"

"Then I'll come too to help you" said Orin.

"Actually, how do I phrase this…this situation, it's one you might not come back from" said Leia "You see…well…"

"I know what's on Gus Treta" said Orin "I am a lieutenant after all and Admiral Ackbar makes sure all military personnel are informed and up to date with the current status of the war. Let me help you assemble the troops; if what I heard about him is true, you'll need all the help you can get"

"Okay, if you insist" said Leia "But I'm warning you, he's really dangerous and won't hesitate to kill anyone who gets in his way"

 _Meanwhile_

Hathora blasted force-lightning from her fingertips and sent several honor guards flying away before letting out a shrill scream, which appeared to be in both anger and pain. At that moment, Kota arrived via the elevator.

"Everyone, fall back!" said Kota as he ignited his lightsaber and rushed forward "I'll handle her!" It was at that moment however that he felt a faint presence behind himself. He stopped in his tracks and looked back at the elevator as it slowly closed over. However, he was brought out of this daze by the screams of Hathora as she charged at him and swung her lightsabers upwards, only for Kota to meet them with his own. "Commander Tano told me about your condition, somehow it's even worse than I had imagined" Hathora hissed at him. "What has the Empire done to you?"

 _Meanwhile_

Four honor guards stood guard outside the elevator. As it came down and opened up, they turned and held their force pikes at it; only for nothing to come out.

"Ha, that's strange" said one of the honor guards "It stopped here and yet no one came out"

"We can't take the chance" said another honor guard "You two, fan out and look for any sign of an intruder but remember to stay within the area we were assigned to. We'll stand guard at the elevator in case it was just a distraction" Two of the honor guards rushed off down the separate corridors that lay beside the elevator. The one who went down the left corridor heard a metallic clanking.

"My word!" said the honor guard. He rushed off down the corridor in the direction the sound came from. "I just heard a noise down my corridor; it's a clanging of some sort. I'm going after it"

"Take caution" said the second honor guard through his comlink "If there is an intruder inside, we don't want to alert them or fall into their trap"

"Got it" said the left honor guard "I'll take extra precaution" He reached the end of the corridor and looked up at the air vent above him. "I think I found source of the noise; there's an air vent at the end of the corridor"

"Good work, we'll inform everyone immediately" said the second honor guard.

 _Meanwhile_

As Kota clashed with Hathora, he began to notice that she was starting to drive him to the edge of the platform and corner him.

"I don't know if you can hear me; but while I admit that while you have no strategy in this form, your raw power certainly is destructive enough to drive me back" said Kota "I have no idea what their intentions were, but the Sith certainly turned you into a weapon of terror like almost everything else they touch"

"General Kota, we believe there's another intruder within the facility" said the second honor guard through his comlink "The elevator came down and opened with no one inside and now we believe there's someone hiding in the ventilation system" As Hathora pushed her lightsaber forward closer and closer, Kota could feel his feet slowly sliding towards the edge of the platform.

"Acknowledged" said Kota into his comlink "I'll try to come down, but I'm preoccupied at the moment with our other intruder. In the meantime, try to keep a close eye on this new intruder and keep them away from anywhere important. And if you believe them to be Force sensitive, let me know and do not engage"

"Got it" said the second honor guard. As Hathora snarled, Kota bared his teeth as he drove her back before force-pushing her into the wing of the shuttle. After watching her carefully to make sure that she wasn't getting up, he turned towards the elevator and sprinted towards it.

"Everyone, get off the platform!" said Kota "She's just a distraction, the real intruder is inside the facil—" At that moment, Hathora cut him off from the elevator, grabbed onto his arm with her hands, and began pulling him down. Kota resisted so she blasted force-lightning at him which he blocked with his lightsaber. "This may be a wild guess, but I assume from your current state you weren't a willing distraction"

 _Meanwhile_

"Security center, we've made a discovery" said the second honor guard through the comm of the security camera room "We believe there's an intruder within the prison who's sneaking around via the air ducts. Have you got that?" There was no reply. "Hello? Hello?" The bodies of various unsuspecting guards lay around the room as Barriss walked up to the controls and began typing into them.

"Simple!" said Barriss. An authorized access identification appeared on the screen in front of her. "Time to play your part" She pulled up the arm of the dead Utharu and placed his palm on the panel which scanned it. The screen came up with the security options for Vader's cell. "And now to strip away the defenses they spent ages putting in place"

 _Meanwhile_

A red light atop the elevator flashed on and an alarm rang.

"Prisoner release!" said Kota "This is the last thing I need!" He looked over at Hathora before turning his attention back to the alarm.

 _Meanwhile_

As the alarm rang, the guards throughout the prison complex turned and began running to Vader's cell access.

"Prisoner release!" exclaimed an honor guard "Vader's free! We have to stop him before he gets out!"

 _Meanwhile_

As the bounds slowly retracted from Vader, he repositioned himself upright before blasting them away with a powerful force blast. He then walked over to the cell which opened before him.

 _Meanwhile_

The Rebel guards gathered around the cell bridge entry.

"Quickly, close the doors!" said an honor guard captain. One of the guards ran up to the panel, scanned his hand in, and closed the door. "Now drop the bridge!" The honor guard at the panel typed into the controls beneath the panel.

 _Meanwhile_

As Vader walked along the bridge, he suddenly stopped the moment he felt a large tremor. Before he could even react, the bridge split in half along the top and floor and collapsed into the dark abyss below.

 _Meanwhile_

"That's it!" said the honor guard captain "We did it! That was a close one…" There was about a minute of calm silence and relief but it was soon broken by a loud thud on the door in front of them.

"This is impossible!" said one of the honor guards "That door is supposed to be impenetrable!"

"Never mind that" said the honor guard captain as the thudding continued "Battle formation, men!" The guards formed up in a defensive position. The thudding slowly got louder and louder. "No matter what happens, we cannot let him get past us! It took us almost everything to get him into this prison, we're not going to let him escape" At the height of the thudding, a black glove pierced through the door's edge. Vader slowly pushed the door open and began stepping out. "Quickly, shoot him!" The guards pulled out their blasters and began shooting at Vader who quickly ducked and shot forward at them. He quickly extended his hand out and force-blasted various guards out of the way.

 _Meanwhile_

As Kota continued to clash with Hathora, he took a deep breath in before leaping back. As Hathora charged at him again, he extended both his hands out and force-pushed her straight into the wall next to the elevator. He pointed his lightsaber towards her and kept a close eye on her until she slowly faded back to her original color.

"And stay down this time" said Kota as he lowered his lightsaber. He then rushed over to the elevator.

 _Meanwhile_

"Attack!" yelled the honor guard captain. The remaining guards charge towards him and struck forward with their force pikes, only for Vader to continuously evade their attacks. An honor guard struck forward towards his life support system, but the Sith Lord grabbed ahold of him by the arm, swung him around, and threw him into a group of other guards. Another honor guard charged at him from behind but he quickly shot around, grabbed the guard by his face, and slammed him into the ground. Before he could get up, the honor guard captain swung his force pike towards Vader's helmet only for him to grab ahold of it and used it to pull himself up. "You…You're not ever getting out of here!"

"I already have" said Vader. He pulled the pike out of the honor guard captain's hand and slammed him in the chest with it, holding it there until his screaming died. The other honor guards began to charge at Vader from all angles, only for him to fight back at them with the force pike. Eventually however, the honor guards began to overpower him but he quickly force-blasted all of them out of the way. Only one guard remained, and he began shooting at Vader who only deflected the shots with his pike before throwing it at the guard, skewering him in the stomach. Vader then felt a familiar presence and turned around to see Kota standing at the other end of the prison with his lightsaber out. "I told you this prison couldn't hold me"

"You're still within its walls; so as far as I'm concerned, you're not free just yet!" said Kota. Abruptly, he heard the ignition of lightsaber behind him and quickly turned and blocked the attack of Barriss who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. "Barriss Offee!"

"Long time no see, Master Kota!" said Barriss.

"So a traitor has come to free another traitor?" said Kota "I trust Hathora's sudden appearance was your doing"

"Best I could do with her" said Barriss "Besides, she'd probably only get in my way; the moment I sensed your presence, I knew I had to keep you occupied with a distraction"

"I'll admit, that was a clever if not callous tactic" said Kota "Too bad it was all in vain"

"Was it?" said Vader as he approached them "I am now not only free, but most of your guards are dead" During the struggle, Kota looked down at Barriss's belt and noticed Vader's lightsaber hanging off it. Vader summoned it to his only hand and ignited it. "You may be able to deny it, but their deaths are on your hands. You gave the position of guarding a prison that holds me and promised to keep me locked away; and when that failed, they died because of it" He slammed his lightsaber down towards Kota. However, the Jedi Master grabbed onto his wrist the moment it was about to reach him and held him back. "What!?"

"Even with your lightsaber back, you have only one arm to wield it" said Kota "That creates imbalance, an opening that can be exploited by the keen eyed" Vader and Barriss began to close in on him.

"You cannot hold this up forever, Kota" said Vader "Sooner or later, your strength will fade and we then killing you will be too easy. The only way to reserve your strength in this position is to face one of us individually; but from the moment you choose one of us, the other one will strike you down from behind. Either way, it will end the same; you make a poor decision that will cost you your life and we will leave. Face it, you're in a position that you cannot truly win"

"It doesn't matter" said Kota "I'm not giving up here. I swear, I'll send you two into cells if it's the last thing I do…and then, I'll make sure you'll never get out again…" His arms slowly began to give.

"We may not have killed you yet, but we have weakened you" said Vader "It is only a matter of time now until you tire completely and then you will die" At that moment, the lift in front of them opened up and Leia and Orin ran out of it with a group of rebel troopers and rebel honor guards.

"Freeze, Vader!" said Leia as she held her blaster towards him. As Vader and Barriss were distracted for a brief minute, Kota took the opportunity to slip out and join the rest of the rebels near the elevator.

"Looks like you're outnumbered" said Kota "Now, do yourself a favor and come quietly back to your cell and things don't have to get ugly"

"That would be more for your sake than ours" said Vader.

"Nevertheless, I'm making sure you go back into your cell" said Kota "You can choose to stand down if you wish, it would only make things less complicated"

"You forget that you are facing against two dark siders" said Vader "And unlike you, we don't restrict ourselves to the most basic and simplistic force powers. If anything, it is you who makes it complicated" As he looked over towards Barriss, the two of them began to slowly raise their hands.

"Brace yourselves for an attack!" said Kota. Suddenly, Vader force-pushed the rebels on the left side out of the way and Barriss pushed the ones on the right side away. The two of them made a dash for the elevator and just managed to enter it.

"We could have taken them, even Kota" said Barriss.

"And in the process we would have only delayed our escape and give them more opportunities to prevent it" said Vader. Suddenly, the elevator came to a screeching.

"What is it now?!" snapped Barriss.

"I suspect it's Kota's last attempt to contain us" said Vader.

 _Meanwhile_

At the bottom of the elevator shaft, Kota had cut through the doors and was now reaching his hand up towards the elevator and force-gripping it in an attempt to pull it down.

"Have you got them?" asked Leia.

"Only just" replied Kota "But they're resisting, so overpowering them will be hard"

 _Meanwhile_

"I must admit, he is persistent" said Barriss as desperately gripped the elevator around her to keep it from being pulled down. She looked over to Vader who was looking around the elevator carefully. "You know, you could always join in and help"

"There's more than one way out" said Vader as he ignited his lightsaber "Keep Kota busy, I'll handle the rest" He stuck his lightsaber into the roof of the elevator and slowly encircled it.

"Really?" said Barriss.

 _Meanwhile_

The elevator slowly began creaking down the shaft.

"Almost got them!" said Kota "Just a little more…"

 _Meanwhile_

As Vader finished encircling his lightsaber, a large chunk of the roof fell down in front of them leaving a large hole in it. Vader leapt up through it and onto the top of the elevator in the shaft.

"Follow me" said Vader "And make it quick; the moment you let go, the elevator will come down" He then leapt up towards the top of the shaft.

"Right" said Barriss. As she let go of the elevator and leapt up to the top of the shaft, it came rocketing down.

"Stand back!" exclaimed Kota. He and Leia ran back as the elevator crashed right in front of them.

"Did we get them?" asked Leia. As the dust cleared, the two of them looked upon the fallen to discover that it was empty.

"Damn it!" snapped Kota "They must have gotten out of it!"

"They won't get any further" said Leia "I've left a little surprise at the landing pad that should slow them down if they get there"

 _Meanwhile_

At the top of the elevator shaft, Vader and Barriss used their lightsaber to slowly cut through the elevator doors.

"This is taking quite long" said Barriss "For an elevator door, it's certainly tough"

"The metal is meant to impede lightsaber blades but not to stop them completely in case Kota was present in an emergency" said Vader. As they finished cutting a circle in the elevator doors, they force-pushed it outwards and stepped through the hole they had created. But the moment they set foot on the other side, they realized that they were surrounded by rebel troopers.

"Don't move!" said a rebel field commander as they began pointing their blasters towards Vader and Barriss "Hands up! We have you surrounded!" As Vader and Barriss assumed an attack position, Kota leapt up out of the elevator shaft and ignited his lightsaber.

"You've gotten far, but it ends right here" said Kota as he pointed his lightsaber towards them. As Vader and Barriss turned to face him, Vader looked over next to the elevator and saw the unconscious Hathora lying beside it. "There's no point fighting back now, not with these numbers" At that moment, the Imperial shuttle rose up from behind the platform and began shooting at them. "Everyone, clear the area!" The rebel troopers scattered across the platform; and within the confusion, Vader and Barriss leapt up into the shuttle as the ramp came down, with Vader force-pulling Hathora up to them.

"Know this, Master Kota; you had me chained and at your mercy, but in the end you failed to keep me that way" said Vader "And I will make sure it costs you dearly" The shuttle flew away with the mounted defense turrets desperately firing away at it.

"General Kota, the shuttle is moving too fast for our turrets to hit it" said the rebel gunner at a mounted turret out of Kota's comlink "They already appear to be ready to jump to hyperspace. I don't think we can reach them at this point" Kota sighed.

"We have failed" said Kota.

 _Meanwhile_

Vader placed Hathora at the port bench before joining Barriss and MOXAL (who was piloting) in the cockpit.

"Good work, MOXAL" said Vader "I programmed you well"

"I was the one who constructed and executed this whole operation, my lord" said Barriss "Don't forget that I had the biggest part in this" Vader did not reply. "Well, you're welcome anyway"

"I heard what you and Kota said back there" said Vader "Is it true you used Hathora as a distraction?"

"I had to use something; and I knew all about what you and the other Imperials did to her, so I knew she would survive it" said Barriss. Vader turned and faced her in a threatening manner.

"I do not want to see something like this again" said Vader "And do not let our former partnership blind you; if you touch her anymore, I will end you"

"You seem to be taking this too personally" said Barriss as she gazed over at the unconscious Hathora "You said it to me yourself how you view her; a tool, an instrument against the Empire. Nothing more, nothing less"

"Perhaps" said Vader as he stepped in front of her "But after breaking so many tools, you develop a certain attachment to the latest one you have. And to make things fair, I will offer you a trade" Barriss smiled.

"I'm listening" said Barriss.

 _Later on Coruscant_

As the Imperial palace in the middle of Galactic City stood impervious and intimidating above all the other buildings, an Imperial shuttle flew down and landed on the landing pad outside. A platoon of stormtroopers arrived and lined up outside it as the ramp lowered. Vader stepped out (already with his left hand repaired) and marched over to the palace entrance at a vigorous pace. He moved so fast that he reached the door to the Emperor's throne room in what seemed like a matter of minutes, where he was cut off by the Emperor's royal guards who placed their force pikes in front of him.

"I have business with the Emperor that he requests to be in person" said Vader "Nor can it wait, step aside"

"We are all well aware of your meeting with Emperor Palpatine, Lord Vader" said a voice "But he has placed special requirements to be met prior to it" Vader turned to see Grand Vizier Sate Pestage walk up to him, dressed from head to toe in his crimson robes.

"And what requirements would they be?" asked Vader.

"He requests you hand over your lightsaber to us before entering" replied Pestage.

"For what reason?" asked Vader.

"He did not specified" replied Pestage "However; while in Emperor Palpatine's palace, you must abide by his requests. Hand over your lightsaber now and we can continue"

"Very well" said Vader. He pulled his lightsaber from his belt and handed it over to Pestage.

"You may see him now" said Pestage as he gestured to the door. The guards pulled their pikes back and allowed Vader to walk through. As he stepped forward into the throne room, the door behind him closed with an ominous "clunk". Within the dark and immense room, his attention was soon drawn the Emperor's throne which stood at the top of a group of stairs in front of a large circular window overlooking Coruscant. The chair was turned with its back towards him and all that could be viewed of the Emperor himself was a wrinkled and pale hand which lay on the right side of the chair with a large black sleeve.

"Welcome back, Lord Vader" said the Emperor in his coarse and whispery voice "I see that you finally escaped rebel incarceration"

"My master" said Vader as he bent down on one knee.

"When I received news of your escape, I knew I had to order you back here immediately to hear your end of the story" said the Emperor. He lifted his right hand up from the chair and intertwined it with his other hand's fingers.

"I was not going to rot in some rebel's prison" said Vader "The moment I got an opportunity to escape, I took it. I am back now to continue with my work"

"Yes you have" said the Emperor. He slowly spun around in his chair to face him. "But tell me, do you think me so thoughtless as to let you off this easily?"

"My lord, what are you—" said Vader.

"Silence, Worm!" snarled the Emperor as he shot up from his chair. He blasted intense purple force-lightning from his fingertips which almost sent him across the room.

"My lord…what is the meaning of this?!" asked Vader.

"I am merely doing what I should have done the moment this war began" replied the Emperor "Putting you back in your place!" He shot Vader with force-lightning again. "None would dare fail me; and yet, you have on so many occasions that I have lost count. And now you come back here after your greatest failure yet and expect me to forgive you for it? Tell me, what possessed you to do something as to take the Alliance head-on by yourself like that?"

"I only desired to crush the Rebels faster by laying siege to Corellia" said Vader "And I had found a means to do it, little knowing that—"

"You dealt with a known rogue Dark Jedi who has caused trouble for us in the past and you were surprised when you lost" said the Emperor "That's right, my spies found out about your "meeting" on Ziost and how you acquired an ancient weapon of unknown design. It was a foolish decision to make, Vader; I am actually surprised that you fell for it so easily. For all we know, he may have planned the outcome all along and you were playing right into his trap"

"And how would my capture by the Rebels benefit him?" asked Vader.

"Who knows what his agenda was, but the results of what happened on Corellia almost derailed the Imperial army's morale" said the Emperor "If you could be captured by the Alliance, what hope did they have?"

"Then let me return to the frontlines now to continue the Imperial war effort" said Vader "If my presence is as important as you say, then keeping me here isn't helping us"

"I called you here to prevent history from repeating itself" said the Emperor "You see; ever since your capture, your image has slowly began to deteriorate. No longer do the armies of my Empire view you as an indestructible behemoth that will crush everything and everyone that gets in its way, they just view you as a warlord who thought he alone was powerful enough to take on the Rebel Alliance at their safe haven but was brought down by both pride and stupidity; not a very encouraging or intimidating image to be united under. True, your capture shocked them and it was enough to break this unification; but as time went on, those wounds healed and their doubt began to move from them to you. It is tragedy really to see a symbol of power break and all those under it question it's meaning, but it is just one of many things that you have failed at. It was, after all, your fault that this war begun in the first place; and after that, you promised to destroy our new enemies"

"They have proven themselves to be a greater threat than we anticipated, I admit" said Vader "But I will not underestimate them again"

"It was a simple system, how could it go wrong in the first place?" said the Emperor "I give you orders and instructions on how to manage my military and you play them out. But you lost the Death Star, you lost sight of their whereabouts, and now I have lost my patience!"

"It was Tarkin who lost the Death Star, my lord" said Vader "Despite repeated warnings, he let his pride and overconfidence get the better of him and hold back against the rebel fighters. And in the aftermath; I threw my full strength at their base on Yavin, but enough of them slipped through my grasp"

"And because of this, they bred like vermin" said the Emperor "And now, thanks to the "inspiration" from our greatest weapon's destruction, are too powerful enough for us to take out in a single stroke. If you could truly destroy them so easily, Vader; surely you would have done so by now; before the galaxy turned favor towards them, before our neighbor Corellia offered themselves as a safe haven for them, before they found new Jedi allies…" Vader lowered his head in an almost shameful fashion. "However, I still have some use for you" Vader lifted his head back up in a curious fashion. "I have a new plan to turn this war in our favor. It will take time and many resources; but by the end of it, we will be victorious and the Rebellion will be no more!" Mas Amedda slowly stepped forward out of the shadows and stood in front of Vader. He pulled out a hologram projector and brought up a hologram of the Death Star along with what appeared to be a defense shield projecting from a small moon that it orbited. "And this time…this time I will make sure you do it right!"

 _Later_

The _Executor_ and its fleet sat in the Endor system surrounded by various construction space stations. Vader and Barriss (now dressed in a black dress with red linings) stood aboard the bridge overlooking the forest moon of the white gas giant.

"This is an isolated system that's held very little alliances to anyone in the past" said Barriss "No imports, only exports are ones that can be acquired at better value elsewhere. The inhabitants are either primitive tribal-based species or those who are shipwrecked. It's not surprising why this area of the galaxy has remained untouched by galactic governments for so long"

"Which is why the Emperor sees it as the perfect location for his master plan" said Vader.

"And what do you think of it?" asked Barriss.

"For the moment, I go along with it" said Vader "Leading a new operation directly from the Emperor himself should restore my image in the military's eyes. And after that, I will find a way to turn it in my favor to make sure I have the advantage"

"What are you doing here?!" snapped a voice. Vader and Barriss turned around to see Hathora (dressed with a cloak covering her right arm) stomped up to them.

"I see you recovered from your "incident" back there" said Barriss.

"No thanks to you!?" snapped Hathora "What were you thinking back there?! Sending me out like that?!"

"You survived it, didn't you?" said Barriss.

"That's not the point!" snapped Hathora "Using me like that…wasn't part of the plan"

"The plan was mine the moment you brought me onboard" said Barriss "I used all of its assets as I saw fit, including you"

"I'm just some…asset?" said Hathora "Fine, be that way; you've done your job, now leave while I'm still in the mood"

"I'm afraid I can't do that" replied Barriss.

"What do you mean?" asked Hathora.

"Well, there was an opening for Grand General offered to me by Lord Vader himself; and who would I be to turn down such a position" replied Barriss.

"You?!" said Hathora "You a grand general? You've got be kidding me!"

"Given my skills and how a Grand General was killed recently and another one was promoted, do you really think I am?" said Barriss "And before you try anything, remember this; as Vader's Shadow Hand, you only hold the same rank as a simple commander so I outrank you" Hathora abruptly grabbed Barriss's collar with her right hand (revealing her black glove) and clenched her tight.

"Do you really think that matters to me?!" snarled Hathora as her eyes began turning red.

"I'd be more concerned about controlling your temper if I were you" smirked Barriss. Hathora clenched her teeth in anger.

"Enough!" said Vader as he pulled the two of them apart "Hathora, return to your quarters immediately"

"But…But she disrespected me!" snarled Hathora "She's been disrespecting me the moment we met and I can take no more of it!"

"That is an order, Hathora" said Vader "And if you try something like this again, it will be me who you disrespect" After a moment's hesitation, Hathora took a deep breath in, closed her eyes, and opened them again to reveal that they were back to normal.

"Sorry, Master" said Hathora "I got…carried away" She turned and exited the bridge.

"You told me a wide array of stories about her, but I never expected her to be this bad" said Barriss.

"Beforehand she was merely reckless and impulsive; but recently, she's been taking a violent turn" said Vader "She is becoming increasingly irrational and spiteful; and if I'm not careful, there may come a time where I may no longer be able to control her anymore"

 _Meanwhile_

Hathora stepped into her quarters and lay down onto her bed with a sigh. As she began to close her eyes, she began to feel a stinging down her right side around her arm. She slowly got herself up and walked over to a mirror she had on the wall to look at her reflection. She extended her right hand forward and slowly removed her glove. As she looked down into her palm, she saw that it had not changed and was still silver. As she began to suspect the source of the stinging on her arm, she began to rub it carefully and cautiously before slowly pulling her cloak off. To her horror she discovered that her entire right arm was now silver with grey markings. Looking back at her palm and rubbing it slowly with her other hand, she found her eyes drawn down to her wrist where the words "PROJECT #07" lay printed on her wrist. Closing her eyes in a grim manner, she slowly walked back over to her bed, lay down on it, and slowly closed her eyes to go to sleep.

 **Author's note #1** : I hope I didn't make Vader look too pathetic when he confronted the Emperor. I just wanted to give the impression that the Emperor was one of the few people who Vader actually feared and the only one who had power over him.

 **Author's note #2** : Again, I'm sorry about the delayed release on chapters due to finding time for it and writer's block. I've been thinking about it a lot recently and I've finally come to a decision; after I reach the halfway point in this season, I'll go on mid-season break and hopefully be more enthusiastic once I come back. I'm sorry if this must come off as an inconvenience to anyone, but I feel it's necessary to refresh myself so I can keep everything up. I hope this doesn't upset anyone too much.

 **CT7567Rules** : Thanks for the encouragement; I'm trying to get the chapters out on the time limit I give myself but I often find myself taking almost a month. I'm trying to get better at it, but I still feel it's necessary to make sure I'm happy with them before I release them. Seeing as how Pooja was Padme's niece, I imagine she knows quite a bit about her.

 **Hope reigns on** : Thanks for the feedback. The series will still edge for Luksoka but Mara will also play a role in it. I'll try to make sure Ahsoka tells Luke about Padme but not enough for him to realize that she is his mother otherwise it would contradict what he said in _Return of the Jedi_ about not remembering his mother.


	7. Broken Sisterhood

**Author's note** : Hello everyone. I meant to finish this chapter sooner; but since I've been stressed with work and other things in my life recently, writing became quite pressured and things got harder and harder. Hopefully I will be able to make it to a halfway point if I can find enough motivation to help me write. I just hope this chapter didn't come off as too rushed since I had some trouble writing it.

 **Broken Sisterhood**

 _After the brutal attacks by the Gen'Dai bounty hunter Durge resulted in the loss of various hidden Rebel bases across the galaxy, the search for new planets to house new bases has become a high priority! Alongside Corellia, serving as a safe haven for the Alliance in the Core Worlds, and the ice planet Hoth, serving as the main base for the frontlines of the war, minor bases are required to keep a foothold and watchful eye in the war._

 _Among those given the task of scouting is Rebel smuggler Han Solo; but with his partners Chewbacca the Wookiee and Corea Narth busy with scouting missions of their own, Han finds himself taking C-3PO, being told that it would help in case of any native presence…_

 _Corellia_

C-3PO sat in the cockpit of a T-6 shuttle looking down at the controls on the panel. At that moment, Han entered.

"Okay, looks like the shuttle's all ship-shape" said Han "Let's roll"

"I have a bad feeling about this, Captain Solo" said C-3PO "Why are you taking me along?"

"At the request of Luke" replied Han "He said you would useful in case we ran into any natives"

"Natives?" said C-3PO "Define natives"

"Uh, the lifeforms that live on the planet" replied Han "What else would it mean?"

"But how advanced exactly?" asked C-3PO.

"Depends on which planet" replied Han "It's a big galaxy; some planets have been touched by civilization enough to become really advanced, some haven't been touched by civilization at all. Seeing as how these bases are meant to be "secret bases", generally we aim for less populated systems. Speaking of which, let's have a look at the list Leia and the others cooked up for us" He pulled out a hologram projector and brought up a list of planet names with pictures to accompany it. "Now let's see…nope…nope…Hutt Space? No way…Uh-ha!" C-3PO leaned over to look at the planet Han was looking at.

"The planet Ryien?" said C-3PO.

"Third planet in the Cholganna system" said Han "That's good news for us. Do you know why?"

"Why?" asked C-3PO.

"The Cholganna system is an uninhabited one" replied Han "No permanent residents; outside wild animals, of course. It's the perfect place to start. Let's take off now" Han prepped the shuttle before lifting off the landing pad up into the sky.

"Captain Solo, should I mention that I'm still not particularly fond of flying?" asked C-3PO before they jumped into hyperspace.

 _Meanwhile_

Within the Alderaan palace in Coronet city, rays of daylight slit through the blinds of Leia's room. Leia lay asleep in her bed, wearing only a grey singlet and a black pair of panties. At that moment, her alarm clock on her bedside table went off. As she sighed sleepily, she reached out over to her bedside table and turned her alarm off. She slowly got herself up, moved over to her closet, and pulled out a white dressing gown which she slipped on. As she was about to move over to the bathroom, she heard a loud ringing going off in the lounge room. She walked over to the holocommunicator on the center table of the lounge room, sat down on the couch in front of the table (with Cagney leaping up onto her lap purring), and brought up a hologram of Han.

"Hey Leia" smirked Han.

"Oh, it's just you" said Leia "For a moment I thought it was something important"

"Is there seriously anything more important at the moment other than the scouting missions to find new planets for bases?" asked Han

"I don't know" said Leia sarcastically "Maybe the fact that I have to help Mon Mothma with her election campaign otherwise she'll lose her position as chief-of-state to that scumbag Fey'lya or maybe the fact that Kota is going to make an attempt to interrogate Vader so we can find out important Imperial intel that could…well, turn the entire tide of the war? I'm just throwing around guesses. Let me hang up so I can think of some more"

"Before you do, guess who just discovered the perfect place for a rebel base and is on his way to it now?" smirked Han.

"Well, let's see…Last time I checked, Luke and Ahsoka were off on a mission to Tatooine so I know they're not on recon duty" said Leia "Corea and Chewbacca are out looking for a base location, but they would have informed if they did find somewhere that would—"

"Ha ha, very funny" said Han sarcastically.

"Okay then, who did find this new "perfect" planet for a base?" asked Leia rhetorically.

"Me, of course!" smirked Han.

"Wow…how incredible?" said Leia sarcastically "So what is this planet"

"Uh uh uh, not just yet" said Han "Try to guess it first"

"Guess it?" said Leia "Seriously?"

"I supposed it's a bit of a one in a million" said Han "I suppose a few guesses wouldn't hurt; the planet is uninhabited, out of the way of the rest of the galaxy, in a system full of hostile animals so people would avoid it…"

"What's that?" said Leia "You're breaking up"

"What are you talking about?" asked Han "It seems perfectly fine at my end" Leia turned off the holocommunicator.

"Idiot!" said Leia.

 _Meanwhile_

"Well, she's certainly not in a talking mood today" said Han as the T-6 shuttle sped through hyperspace "Good thing we're almost at Ryien anyway"

"I still don't know why you didn't choose to use the _Millennium Falcon_ " said C-3PO "Isn't it supposed to be faster and more advanced than a standard shuttle?"

"Uhh, don't remind me!" said Han "If I had my way; yes, I would take it. She's the fastest ship we've got and I'm proud to be her owner. But according to Leia and the others, it's just too recognizable amongst both the underworld and Imperial watch lists so I can't use it for scouting missions like this"

"But aren't you more well acquainted with—" said C-3PO.

"Eh; I might prefer to use the _Falcon_ , but that doesn't mean I'm incapable of using other ships" said Han "I am a pilot, after all; I have to be well acquainted with the basics of different ship classes. It's not like I'm some pilot droid who's programmed only for a specific type of ship in a simplistic and formulaic pattern. No offense"

"None taken" said C-3PO "Still though; even if we weren't taking the _Millennium Falcon_ and Chewbacca and Corea Narth were unavailable, then why didn't you bring a group of rebel soldiers along for support?"

"A bunch of those guys would only slow us down" said Han "Besides, this isn't assault or espionage; this is scouting and reconnaissance, having a group like that is unnecessary"

"Unnecessary but advised" said C-3PO.

"Calm down, Mr. Technical" said Han "It's only an uninhabited system, so the chances of there being any hostile individuals temporarily living there are very small. If you're going to worry about something, worry about the man-eating beasts"

"Man-eating beasts?!" exclaimed C-3PO.

"Don't worry, most of them live on Cholganna and we're going to Ryien" said Han.

"Still, I would prefer it if you took this a bit more seriously" said C-3PO.

"I am taking it seriously" said Han "After all, Corea and I had a drinking contest planned for today but we had to cancel it because Mon Mothma wanted us for the recon missions. Speaking of which, we're here" He pulled the shuttle out of hyperspace above the grey-colored and remote jungle planet of Ryien. "Well, here it is"

"It looks awfully desolate" said C-3PO.

"Which is why it's perfect for a new rebel base" said Han "No one would go here so no one would look here"

"I have a question, Captain Solo" said C-3PO "If the chances of there being any inhabitants are low, why did you still take me along? If my abilities are unnecessary for this then there's no reason to take me along, especially to such a potentially hostile place"

"Well…I could use you as an alarm" smirked Han.

"What do you mean "an alarm"?" asked C-3PO.

"Well…you tend to freak out in tense situations…" smirked Han while trying to hold back his laughter "So…if we were being stalked by a creature of some sort…I'd at least know it was here when it attacked…" He chuckled.

"That is not funny, Captain Solo" said C-3PO. Han chuckled again. "I told you, it's not funny. How would you feel if you were the one attacked?"

"I don't have to worry about it" smirked Han "You're the one everyone targets first because you scream a lot"

"What!?" exclaimed C-3PO "I do not scream when I'm in danger"

 _A few minutes later_

The shuttle sat in a clearing amidst a grey-leaved jungle on the equator of the planet's surface. Various reptiles slithered amongst the undergrowth whilst birds flew in the air and treetops. Outside the shuttle, Han stood next to C-3PO with a pair of electrobinoculars to view the surroundings from a far distance.

"Well, seems clear from what I see" said Han.

"How can you see anything, Captain Solo?" asked C-3PO "There are trees everywhere that block the landscape so you cannot…cannot…"

"Eh, what's the matter?" asked Han as he lowered the electrobinoculars and turned towards C-3PO.

"It's these insects" replied C-3PO "They're…They seem to be…buzzing around me and crawling in and out of my system. It's getting very irritating" As he attempted to swat away the buzzing insects (which his limited movement made difficult), Han crushed a large amount of insects in front of him with a single grab. "Oh, thank you"

"Lucky for you, we don't have to stay here much longer" said Han "C'mon, 3PO; we're goin' back"

"Going back?" said C-3PO "To where?"

"Corellia, of course" said Han "Once we report back to Mon Mothma, there's a whole pint of Corellian ale with my name on it and I intend to claim it"

"But shouldn't we at least explore the rest of the planet first and document it?" asked C-3PO. As the two of them talked, the tip of a large rocket launcher peaked out of the dark bushes and carefully aimed towards the shuttle with neither of them noticing it.

"Explore?" said Han "Document? Look around you, what do you see?"

"Well, to put it technically, a forest of some sort" replied C-3PO.

"Exactly, a jungle" said Han "And you saw it from the surface; the forest isn't just here, it's everywhere. This is one of those planets that is simply the same all the way around, so we don't have to waste our time looking in every nook and cranny to see if it's somewhat different. That's the best thing about these untouched planets; once you've seen one part of it, you've seen it all"

"Sir, I'm not sure if this is such a good idea" said C-3PO.

"Suit yourself" said Han as he moved back over to the shuttle in a slow and mocking fashion "You can stay here and wait for the rebel troopers to arrive if you want; but by then, you'd probably already have been eaten"

"Eaten!" exclaimed C-3PO.

"Or, you know, torn apart" said Han "Who knows, the beasts might find you indigestible and just tear you to pieces instead" As he began to whistle nonchalantly in a mocking fashion, C-3PO rushed over to him.

"Captain Solo, don't leave me!" exclaimed C-3PO.

"I knew you'd come around" smirked Han.

"You wouldn't really leave me here?" asked C-3PO.

"Who knows?" replied Han. C-3PO gasped. "Kidding, Luke would probably get me in the neck for losing his property"

"Let's just leave this dreadful planet already" said C-3PO "Honestly, I've had enough missions to last me a lifetime"

"You want dreadful, go to the neighboring planet of Cholganna" said Han "The stuff there would freak you out; giant cat monsters with two pairs of eyes, octopuses hanging from trees, and don't get me started on the bark rats"

"Let's just get back to Corellia" said C-3PO.

"Finally, something we can agree on" said Han. As the two of them turned back towards the shuttle, the rocket from the rocket launcher shot off and instantly destroyed the shuttle. "Woah!" He and C-3PO were sent flying backwards from the resulting explosion.

"Oh my!" said C-3PO "How are we going to get back to Corellia now?"

"Seriously, that's the first thing you're concerned about?" said Han.

"What am I supposed to be concerned about?" asked C-3PO. At that moment, the air was filled with blaster bolts.

"Yikes!" exclaimed Han. He grabbed C-3PO by the shoulder and pulled him back behind a fallen tree trunk. "Geez, I don't know; maybe the people who are trying to kill us. That was close…they're definitely not stormtroopers"

"I thought you said this system was uninhabited" said C-3PO.

"Uninhabited means no permanent residents" said Han "I made that perfectly clear. Obviously these guys are just here temporarily"

"What are we going to do now?" asked C-3PO.

"Hey, here's a thought; maybe I can "intentionally" push you out right into their line of fire" said Han "Then while they're busy blowing you to bits, I can escape" At that moment, several Mandalorian warriors in red and grey armor flew down and landed in front of them. A Mandalorian captain walked up to them and looked down at them.

"Who are you and what is your business here?" asked the Mandalorian captain.

"Who, us?" replied Han "Oh, we're just travelers who are passing by"

"Travelers who are passing by, huh?" said the Mandalorian captain "Why not somewhere with a city or spaceport? There's nothing on this hellhole worth to anyone of the larger galaxy"

"Well…it's always nice to go somewhere untouched for a good walk and a breath of fresh air" said Han.

"Save your breath, scum" said the Mandalorian captain "We saw the symbol on your shuttle; you're with the Rebel Alliance, aren't you?"

"Captain, Lady Vizsla wants us to bring the intruders back to the camp" said a Mandalorian warrior who walked up to the captain.

"Lady Vizsla?" said Han quietly.

"She says she wants see them and we're to await her arrival" said the Mandalorian. Han glanced up to the symbol on the Mandalorians' shoulder pads and noticed that it was orange with three large spikes upwards, three small spikes downwards, and with rough and spiky outlines.

"Shoot!" said Han.

"What is it, Captain Solo?" asked C-3PO.

"We were dead the moment we set foot on this planet" replied Han "That's what it is"

"Stun him!" said the Mandalorian captain. One of the Mandalorians aimed their blasters at him and shot a stun bolt at him.

 _Later_

"Captain Solo" said a voice as Han slowly regained consciousness and slowly opened his eyes "Captain? Captain Solo?" As Han opened his eyes fully, he found himself face to helmet with the Mandalorian captain who was kneeling down towards him.

"Feeling refreshed, Solo?" said the Mandalorian captain "You've been out for hours now"

"Huh?" said Han as he straightened himself up. As he leaned forward, he found himself bound by something. He looked down at himself and found that he was chained up to a pole. As he attempted to struggle, he looked around and found that he was inside a large tent.

"There's no use struggling, we once held a reek captive with those chains" said the Mandalorian captain "Unless of course you're stronger than you look"

"What is Death Watch doing here?" asked Han.

"So, you recognize us?" said the Mandalorian captain.

"Who else wears that coarse symbol?" said Han "To think, I thought you guys were Mandalorians when I first caught sight of you"

"We're more Mandalorian than those peace-loving "New" Mandalorians from years back and we're definitely more than those cowards who call themselves the "True" Mandalorians" said the Mandalorian captain.

"At least those guys have some honor" said Han "You're just a bunch of butchers who abandoned the Mandalorian ways for bloodlust and a desire for power"

"For a simple rebel smuggler, you sure seem to know a lot about us" said the Mandalorian captain "Well, at least a biased version anyway"

"I don't" said Han "But I have a friend who does, and I'd follow her word"

"Charming" said the Mandalorian captain as he stood up and walked over to a nearby table "Anyway, you should consider yourself lucky that our leader wanted you alive; if I had my way, you would dead and rotting in the jungle back there with the remains of your shuttle" He began examining various torture weapons, from shivs to daggers to other nasty weapons.

"The way you were shooting at us didn't really give the impression of trying to take us back alive" said Han.

"We were still waiting for confirmation from our leader on how to handle you two" said the Mandalorian captain "Our orders are to shoot any intruders on sight; but since you had the Alliance insignia on your shuttle, I felt was necessary to notify her first" He picked up a spiked baton stroked it with his finger. "Still; after we destroyed your shuttle to prevent you from getting away, we had to find some way to corner you in case she wanted you alive"

"I bet you'll get a best captain award badge for this" smirked Han.

"Captain Solo, could you please stop making these remarks" said a voice. Han turned his head around and could just make out the make of C-3PO's head, who was tied up to the other side of the pole.

"You've got to be kidding…" sighed Han.

"If you're not careful, he'll do something terrible to the both of us" said C-3PO.

"It can't be that terrible" said Han "I mean, their leader wanted us alive"

"Exactly, alive" said the Mandalorian captain as he placed the spiked baton down "However, she also told us to get information from you"

"What kind of information?" asked Han.

"Any" replied the Mandalorian captain.

"Don't tell me Death Watch is getting involved in the war" said Han "Things are confusing enough as they are"

"Not at all" said the Mandalorian captain as he picked up an electrostaff and examined it "Still though; our leader is very interested in learning what is happening behind the frontlines" He turned to face Han. "By the way; when I said before that you were lucky that our leader chose to spare your life, I was being sarcastic" He activated the electrostaff. "Believe me; it's surprising what one can live through, especially for a little grub like you"

"Eh, what are you doing with that thing?!" said Han.

"Lady Vizsla wants answers" replied the Mandalorian captain as he spun his electrostaff around and pointed it towards Han's face "So instead of wasting time with pointless questions, I thought I'd get straight to breaking you down!" He struck forward towards Han with his electrostaff.

 _Later_

A recording of the prison complex's security played on Mon Mothma's computer as she and the others in the office watched it. Captain Utharu stepped into the security room.

"Do you see anything?" asked Utharu.

"Hmm, nothing out of the ordinary" said one of the guards at the controls.

"Yeah; and we look at these every second, as do the rest of the guards in here" said the other guard at the controls. While the two of them talked with Utharu, the guards around them one-by-one began collapsing dead abruptly.

"And when we start tiring at the end of our shift, we make sure the next shift—" said the first guard.

"Hey, did you see that?" said the second guard.

"What is it?" asked the first guard.

"The guards in that room, they're all dead!" exclaimed the second guard.

"What room is it?" asked Utharu.

"Oh no, it's—" exclaimed the second guard shortly before he and the first guard began holding their necks desperately as if they were being choked by an invisible hand.

"What's happening?" asked Utharu shortly before the two guards dropped dead suddenly.

"With a single incident, the future of prison has been decided" said a voice from the shadows. Utharu turned around, pulled his blaster out, and pointed it at the shadows where Barriss walked out.

"Where did you come from?!" exclaimed Utharu.

"Outside" replied Barriss "Which should show you that your defenses are not as infallible as you and Kota led yourselves to believe"

"You killed my men!" snapped Utharu.

"That was never in question" said Barriss.

"Well, this is as far as you get" said Utharu "One more step and I'll shoot you where you stand"

"I think we both know it's not as simple as that" said Barriss "We both know that you can't kill me; partially because I'm too skilled, but mostly because you're afraid"

"Afraid?" said Utharu "Of you? Are you serious?!"

"You can deny, but I sense your fear deep down" said Barriss "A mysterious woman who got through your "so-called" impervious defenses and who has now killed your men with ease and isn't quivering away when you point a blaster at her; I know you're afraid, because I can sense your fear deep down. You're the warden; so with that title comes power and entitlement, but it is no good when faced with a powerful Force-user who is threatening your very life. Face it, it would probably be better to stand down; at least that way, there's a chance you'll get a merciful death"

"No you don't!" snapped Utharu as he fired away his blaster at her. But as he shot at her, she dodged the shots with blinding speed, sped up to him, ignited one of her lightsabers, and stabbed him through the chest. "AHHHH!" She threw him to the side. At that moment, the voice of an honor guard on the room's comm.

"Security center, we've made a discovery" said the honor guard "We believe there's an intruder within the prison who's sneaking around via the air ducts. Have you got that? Hello? Hello?" Barriss walked over to the controls and began typing into them.

"Simple!" said Barriss. An authorized access identification appeared on the screen in front of her. "Time to play your part" She force-pulled the dead body of Utharu over to her, picked him up by the wrist, and placed his palm onto the panel.

"I've seen enough" said Mon Mothma as she paused the recording "I still can't believe we lost Vader"

"The prison was still under construction and security at the highest as it could have been, I will admit" said Kota "However, the fact that Barriss Offee snuck under my senses is a testament to her skills"

"She did use Hathora as a distraction" said Leia.

"Still though, I only realized what was really going on the moment Vader was released" said Kota "Clearly within her absence, she's become more skilled with the dark side"

"How are we going to approach this?" asked Mon Mothma as her Bothan aide poured tea into her cup "Thank you"

"We have options ahead of us, and I'm not sure if they are particularly good ones" said Ackbar's hologram.

"And what are they?" asked Mon Mothma.

"Either we instantly and truthfully reveal what happened or we wait to reveal it" said Ackbar.

"We have to tell the truth" said Leia "The Empire issues propaganda to its soldiers and citizens every day; to combat deceptions, we need truth"

"I would be inclined to agree with you, Princess Leia" said Ackbar "However, consider the consequences of this action. If we let it be publically known that Vader escaped our custody, Fey'lya could use it against us. He's been looking for reasons to call you ineffective, specifically ones he could make look justified; perhaps Vader's escape could be what turns everyone in his favor"

"But surely we can't lie, even if it's one of omission" said Leia "We have to show the galaxy that we're better than the Empire and that we do intend to make things better than they already are"

"That's what I want too, but I'm worried it may just get spun back at us" said Ackbar "The choice is yours, Mon Mothma. Neither course of action I am particularly fond of; and given how Fey'lya seems to be almost always one step ahead of us, I hope the course of action taken is chosen wisely. But nevertheless, I will try to be at peace with your decision" Leia sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"We can't lie" said Leia "Not straight to the public. But…But I'm not sure anymore. This war used to be so straightforward; now, everything seems to be getting tangled up" Mon Mothma placed her fingers on her chin and thought carefully.

 _Meanwhile_

Under the shade of the trees of Ryien laid a camp filled with Mandalorian tents with the Death Watch symbol on them. The Death Watch Mandalorians were spread throughout the camp; some were sparring each other to hone in their hand-to-hand combat skills, some were target practicing using old droids and inanimate objects (like barrels and cans) as targets, and some were just chatting amongst each other. Various M3-A Scyk fighters were parked across the camp. At the center of the camp however was a large tent with a large object next to it that was covered by a large brown cloth. And from within the tent itself, loud screaming could be heard all across the camp. Han panted and sweated as the Death Watch captain pulled away his electrostaff and his screams of pain died down.

"Is…Is that all you've…got?" smirked Han.

"All that pain and you're still putting on a tough façade" said the Death Watch captain.

"What can I say?" smirked Han "It's what I do" He grinned deviously.

"I feel like I should commend you for having such a high tolerance for torture, but that doesn't get me answers" said the Death Watch captain.

"If you want answers, then why not just ask them?" asked Han "I mean; c'mon, you're even giving me breathers. By vile torturer standards, you're actually being quite hospitable"

"It doesn't work like that" replied the Death Watch captain "I'm giving you a taste of the pain that is to follow, what I am truly capable of"

"And where does that lead you?" asked Han.

"It leads me this way; right now is just the hint" replied the Death Watch captain "What is to come is what you should be worried about. Eventually, you'll be begging to give away information"

"Wow, big words!" said Han "And that's exactly what they are—"big words". How am I supposed to know this is supposed a legitimate or empty threat?"

"Oh dear!" said C-3PO.

"You really are stubborn, aren't you?" said the Death Watch captain. He zapped Han in the chest with the electrostaff again. "Maybe you are a masochist and you're just begging me to hurt you"

"Nah, I've just been in worst situations" said Han.

"Worse situations, huh?" said the Death Watch captain. He walked back over to the table and placed his electrostaff down. "I guess I better up my methods then" He picked up a dagger and walked back over to Han.

"Eh, what are you doing with that dagger?" asked Han.

"So; this spikes something in you, huh?" said the Death Watch captain.

"Nah, we've all seen a dagger" said Han.

"Let's see how long that persona of yours lasts under more cosmetic pain" said the Death Watch captain. He kneeled down towards Han and placed the tip of his dagger on his cheek without breaking the skin. "Now let's see…where to start…"

"And at this stage, you're going to bore me to death" said Han. At that moment, the Death Watch commando grabbed him by the throat and began to squeeze tight.

"You're going to live for as long as our leader says you can live" said the Death Watch captain "But until then, I'm going make sure that it's painful"

"Wow…you sound serious!" smirked Han as he was choked.

"You have a sharp tongue, maybe I'll remove it first" said the Death Watch commando. He slowly swept the top of the knife across Han's lips before making his way up to his eyes. "Or perhaps I should cut your eyes out"

"No thank you" said Han "Though I suppose that would only tempt you more" At that moment, a Death Watch warrior entered the tent.

"Captain, we've received a transmission from Lady Vizsla's ship" said the Death Watch warrior "She says she'll arrive in a few minutes and will take over any prisoner interrogation from this point"

"Acknowledged" said the Death Watch captain "Guard the prisoners, I'll greet our leader personally"

"Yes, captain" said the Death Watch warrior.

"So, I guess I got off lucky" smirked Han.

"Far from it" said the Death Watch captain "Lady Vizsla will oversee your interrogation from this point; compared to her, I was being reasonable. I'll spare you the details, it's better if you see it in person" He exited the tent.

"Well, that's just being a bad host" said Han.

"How could you be so calm at a moment like this, Captain Solo?" asked C-3PO "Our lives are being threatened by these savages; and from what they've hinted, the worse is yet to come!"

"You can hardly complain, 3PO" said Han "After all, you're not the one they're torturing"

"Exactly, so why are you being so calm?" asked C-3PO.

"Staying calm is the key to withstanding interrogation" replied Han "If you're able to keep your cool, you won't spill your guts; well, at least not figuratively"

"So what your saying is—" said C-3PO.

"I may be a smuggling scumbag, but I don't sell out my friends" said Han "Whatever these Death Watch freaks want with the Alliance, I'm not giving it to them nor am I giving them the satisfaction of breaking me. Besides, I don't cower down to murderers"

 _Meanwhile_

A _Kom'rk_ -class fighter came out of hyperspace above Ryien and descended down to the planet below. It flew over to Death Watch camp in the space next to the center tent. As the ramp lowered down, a female figure dressed in red Mandalorian armor with the orange Death Watch logo on her breast plate and a long maroon cape stepped out and walked over to the Death Watch captain who waited for her patiently outside the tent.

"Lady Vizsla" said the Death Watch captain as he kneeled down before her.

"Show me the prisoners" said Lady Vizsla.

"This way" said the Death Watch captain as he led Lady Vizsla into the center tent. As they entered the tent, their attention was immediately drawn to Han and C-3PO.

"So, you're this fearless leader everyone keeps talking about" smirked Han.

"And you must be the rebel smuggler I was told about" said Lady Vizsla as she kneeled down towards him "However; I wasn't told that you were the famous Han Solo"

"What difference does it make?" said the Death Watch captain "He's a smuggler associated with the Rebel Alliance and proven resistant to interrogation. I've got sick of his smart aleck remarks anyway, let's just get this over and done with"

"It makes a difference to me" said Lady Vizsla.

"Geez, buy a guy a drink first" smirked Han. Suddenly, Lady Vizsla slammed her palm over his mouth and placed a dagger at his throat.

"Another remark like that and I'll cut out your vocal cords" said Lad Vizsla.

"I told you that you should be more careful about what you say, Captain Solo" said C-3PO.

"And if I hear anything at all from you, droid; I'll cut you into scrap metal" said Lady Vizsla. C-3PO fell silent as Lady Vizsla removed her hand and her dagger from Han's mouth and throat. "Now, we can make business"

"What kind of business, "Lady Vizsla"" said Han "I'll let you know that the Alliance is very precise when it comes with hostage taking"

"Not the Alliance, just one individual in particular" said Lady Vizsla "By the way, no doubt my men have referred to me by my title—Lady Vizsla"

"Well, every time they didn't refer to you as "their leader" that is" said Han.

"Then I assume they didn't use my full name—Dai Vizsla" said Lady Vizsla.

"Dai Vizsla!" exclaimed Han. Lady Vizsla removed her helmet to reveal her face. She had olive skin, dark eyes, and messy black hair that covered most of the right side of her face.

"Heard of me?" said Dai Vizsla "Good, because it makes this next part more straightforward" She leaned over towards Han and whispered something into his ear.

"No way, not even for me" said Han.

"Her compassion was always her weakness, and I will exploit it" said Dai. She stood up and walked over to the Death Watch captain. "Contact Corellia, we've got a message to send to the Rebel Alliance leadership"

"Oh, not strong enough to face them in person" said Han "Worried that you'll get choked up without a rehearsed monologue" Suddenly, Dai spun around and struck a dagger towards Han. Fortunately, Han darted his head to the side at just the right time and the dagger hit the pole instead.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO USE THAT TONE WITH ME, YOU FILTH!" shouted Dai. She placed her helmet back onto her head. "Now, if you'll excuse us…" She and the Death Watch captain exited the tent.

"So you've heard of this Dai Vizsla?" asked C-3PO.

"I have, but I didn't know this "Lady Vizsla" would be her" said Han "I do admit I had suspicions though. And I had no idea she's be so…bipolar!"

"You sure seem to know a lot about Mandalorian culture" said C-3PO.

"Well, I had a friend tell me as part of her life story so you remember these things" said Han.

 _Meanwhile_

Corea and Chewbacca entered Mon Mothma's office.

"Well, we're back from a very unsuccessful mission" said Corea.

"We appreciate your efforts nonetheless" said Mon Mothma "At the very least it narrows down our choices for possible planets"

"You know, it was almost perfect" said Corea "Isolated, only a few localized spots, no major resources or interest to attract the Empire; but while we were stopping by at a cantina, some stormtrooper who's off-duty calls in his buddies and we get into this big firefight. We only just got out of it by the skin of our teeth" Chewbacca growled. "Yeah, we really could have used Han in that" She looked around. "Speaking of which, where is Han? I've got a drinking contest to beat him at"

"We sent him off on a recon mission with C-3PO, but it's been a while and they haven't returned" replied Mon Mothma "Nor has he mention what planet he was going to, which only makes me more concerned"

"Well, he called me long ago to brag about going to some "perfect planet" but I hung up on him before he said its name" said Leia "But since he hasn't returned or informed anyone else, I'm actually starting to worry"

"This is Han we're talking about, what's the worst that could happen?" said Corea. At that moment, Mon Mothma's holocommunicator beeped.

"It's a message from an undisclosed location" said Mon Mothma.

"Do you think it has something to do with—" said Leia.

"Or it could be just a coincidence" said Corea.

"At this stage, getting a message that has something to do with Han is better than him just disappearing" said Mon Mothma "At least we'd have something to work on" She answered her holocommunicator and it brought up a hologram of Dai standing by the post and holding Han's head up by the hair.

"Han!" exclaimed Leia. Corea and Chewbacca gasped as well; but the moment Corea caught sight of the Death Watch symbol on Dai's shoulder, she stepped back in shock.

"No!" said Corea under her breath.

"It's a Mandalorian" said Mon Mothma.

"Hello there, Rebel Alliance leadership" said Dai "I'll keep this brief because I imagine you are very busy with your war. I am Dai Vizsla of Clan Vizsla of the Mandalorian Death Watch" Corea's eyes opened up wide in shock. "I believe something of yours has found its way to my camp" She ruffled Han's hair in a taunting manor. "Do not worry, I am willing to give him back; for a price. Come to the planet Ryien of the Cholganna system and bring us the deserter Corea Narth" Everyone's gaze turned to Corea.

"I'll be dead before I see you get away with this, you psycho" said Han before Dai pulled a blaster towards his face

"Come within the next two hours; and if not…well, I imagine the Empire would still pay a hefty price" said Dai. The hologram switched off.

"It's a trick" said Leia.

"But we still can't lose Captain Solo, especially to the Empire" said Mon Mothma "It's a risk we have to take"

"Then we just need to think of a way around it" said Leia.

"I have a way" said Corea as she stepped forward "We go along with it, exactly as she wants"

"We cannot simply do that" said Mon Mothma "If we trade you for Han we will only be condemning one of our own for another. There has to be another way"

"There isn't" said Corea "You heard her—two hours, that's all we have. Try to come up with a brilliant and flawless tactical plan to go around it within that time"

"So what is your history with this Vizsla woman anyway?" asked Leia.

"Let's just say we've "crossed paths" in the past" replied Corea "She's vile…and it seems she's become more unstable. However, I know how she thinks"

"Which gives us an advantage" said Leia "So why are you hesitant to make a plan?"

"The plan?" said Corea "The plan is to go along with it, like I said; at least that way we can make sure Han is safe first. Then comes the important part"

 _Meanwhile_

As Han and C-3PO quietly sat around the poll they were tied to, they looked over at Dai who was sitting next to the weapons table and flipping her dagger up and down in the air before turning towards them again.

"For your sake, the Alliance had better go along with the plan" said Dai as she caught the dagger on the sharp end "Otherwise I'll have to go to some more extreme methods" Han scowled at her. "Don't be like that…" She threw the dagger into the ground in front of Han. "If they do try anything, I guarantee Corea will try to do the "honorable" thing. So I'm guessing she told you about our history"

"She told me about what you did, yes" said Han "And it's honestly hard to get out of my head"

"It shows you that I was effective, which is what I want" said Dai "And if I have to, I'll make sure I'm effective on her by any means necessary" At that moment, the Death Watch captain entered the tent.

"Lady Vizsla, we've spotted the _Millennium Falcon_ in orbit and we're about to send an escort" said the Death Watch captain.

"Then let us go to the designated landing area to meet these rebels in person" said Dai. They exited the tent.

"I do hope we'll be alright" said C-3PO "Do you think the Alliance has something planned"

"I don't know, 3PO" said Han "We can only hope, I guess. But I'll tell you this; I'm not usually the type to hold a grudge, but I've had about enough of this lady and I'll kick her into a black hole if I ever get the chance"

"Captain Solo, don't you think that's a little harsh?" asked C-3PO.

"A little harsh, huh?" said Han "Sorry for being a "little harsh" on the insane woman who captured us, tortured me, and is now using us to coerce our friend into handing herself over. Yeah, I should be taking it easier on her. Here's a thought; maybe instead of a black hole, I could throw her into a krayt dragon's mouth. Honestly; I may have only met her over an hour ago, but I already can't stand her…Leia, Corea, do something"

 _Meanwhile_

Leia walked into the cockpit of the _Millennium Falcon_ where Corea and Chewbacca were piloting.

"So this is the planet, right?" said Leia.

"Well; unless the _Falcon_ 's navigation system is wrong, which it never is, then yes we are here" said Corea.

"So how will we know where they are keeping Han and 3PO?" asked Leia.

"If they didn't give us the exact directions then they'll escort us down" said Corea "She'll want to make a trade in person and in an area where she has control"

"Hey, are you feeling alright?" asked Leia.

"I'll feel much better when we're on the ground and everything's over and done with" said Corea "It's been years since I last saw her, and I hope I'd never see her again"

"So what exactly is this history you have with Lady Vizsla" said Leia.

"I use to work for her" said Corea "But then I realized that she was insane and bloodthirsty so I ran. That's it in its simplest form"

"There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?" said Leia. Corea didn't reply. "Corea, if there's something—"

"Listen, I don't want to talk about it right now" said Corea "Let's just focus on the matter at hand" At that moment, a group of M3-A Scyk fighters swooped in and surrounded them. "That's them; I'd recognize the Death Watch symbol anywhere"

"Rebel Alliance transport, Lady Vizsla has instructed that we escort you to our encampment" said a Death Watch warrior through the _Falcon_ 's comm "Any resistance or questionable behavior will be met with hostility and I don't need to remind you that we won't hold back"

"Well, let's do what they say" said Corea reluctantly. They flew down to the planet below with the Death Watch ships guiding them down to a landing area within their camp. As they landed and stepped out of the loading ramp, they found themselves surrounded by Death Watch warriors who were all pointing their blasters at them.

"Not a very warm welcome" said Leia.

"They are blackmailing us" said Corea. At that moment, a pair of Death Watch warriors rushed up to Corea and placed a pair of handcuffs on her.

"Is that really necessary?" asked Leia

"She's a traitor and will be dealt with as one" said one of the Death Watch warriors as he removed her blasters. Chewbacca growled aggressively which caused one of the Death Watch warriors to point his blaster at him.

"Chewie, calm down!" said Corea "Or you'll get us all killed" The other Death Watch warrior pointed his blaster in her face.

"Speak only when spoken to, traitor!" snarled the Death Watch warrior. This caused Chewbacca to snort in anger.

"You know; I'm fine with the handcuffs, but the blaster in the face is overdoing it" said Corea.

"So where is Lady Vizsla herself?" asked Leia.

"I'm right here" said a voice. The three of them turned around to see Dai and the Death Watch captain walking over to them. "Ah, Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan; I'm quite surprised to see that you're the one making the exchange"

"I'm involved in the frontlines, unlike the Empire with its leaders" said Leia.

"Interesting to know" said Dai. She pushed Leia aside as she walked over to face Corea. "And of course what I've been waiting for. Hello, sister"

"Hello sister" said Corea.

"Sister?" said Leia.

"I'm guessing she didn't mention to you that we're related" said Dai.

"She did leave that out" said Leia "In fact, she left a lot out"

"I guess it's because she's not proud of her heritage" said Dai.

"With good reason" said Corea.

"Which I wouldn't know about because you never shared your past with us" said Leia.

"Is this seriously the time to accuse me of things?" said Corea "Just take us to Han already"

"You always were straight to the point, sister" said Dai "This way" She and the Death Watch captain led the three of them over to the center tent and entered it.

"Princess Leia, you've come to rescue us!" said C-3PO. Han pulled his head up and immediately looked over at Leia but his gaze soon shifted over to Chewbacca and then over to the handcuffed Corea. As their eyes met, Corea looked away regretfully and Han closed his eyes.

"Be more grateful, Solo; Pretty Princess here has come to save you" said Dai before kicking Han in the face "It's ironic, isn't it?"

"Enough of this, let's just make the exchange and be done with it" said Leia.

"Very well" said Dai. She kneeled down to the poll, released C-3PO free from the chains, pulled him up, and pushed him over to Leia. "Here's the droid. You're lucky you came here in time; my men were getting sick of his prattling and were considering using him for target practice"

"And what about Han?" asked Leia. Dai slowly crept over to Han and began to ruffle his hair in a disrespectful manner before sniffing it sadistically.

"You can't have him…" said Dai.

"But we had a deal" said Leia.

"Let me finish!" snapped Dai "You can't have him until I have Corea"

"She's right here" said Leia.

"Exactly, not over here" said Dai "And until then, I won't release Han" Corea looked down and took a deep breath in before walking over towards Dai.

"Here, now release Han" said Corea.

"As you wish" smirked Dai. She released Han, pulled him up by the collar, and pushed him over towards Chewbacca (who grabbed him and held him tight in a protective manner).

"Chewie…" said Han quietly. Chewbacca groaned in response. Han then looked over at Corea. "Corea…"

"Now be gone!" snarled Dai "I'm already sick of the stench of Corellian in here. Go back to your ship and return to your Alliance; but don't attempt anything, my men are watching you"

"Understood" said Leia. She moved out of the tent with C-3PO and Chewbacca following behind. As Chewbacca carried Han out, he looked back over at Corea for a brief moment before exiting the tent.

"Corea…you said you'd never go back…not even for…" said Han under his breath. Chewbacca growled. "Are we seriously leaving her?" Chewbacca growled again. "What do you mean settle down? You saw it back there; that lady is crazy!

"Could you two be quiet" said Leia "We're almost back to the ship"

"You know, I actually thought you and the others would have actually thought of something" said Han "You know…like you always do in these situations. I guess you were out of ideas this time" Leia looked back at Han and rolled her eyes.

 _Meanwhile_

"It's so good to see you again, sister" said Dai "I thought I would never see you again"

"You could have just called" said Corea "Of course I would probably have just turned it down. I honestly could have gone the rest of my life without seeing you again"

"Which is why fate brought the smuggler into my hands" said Dai as she circled Corea like a hungry predator who was about to play with her food "After I heard news of your reunion with Han Solo on Nar Shaddaa, I had a feeling we would see each other again at some point"

"So what do you want with me?" asked Corea "Wouldn't your time better be spent defiling Mandalorian ways just like the rest of our clan did?"

"I'm all about family, so I just wanted you back so we could be together again" said Dai. She placed her hands on Corea's shoulder.

"That's sweet, I guess" said Corea.

"After all, you are mine and mine alone" said Dai "And this time you won't run away"

"I don't like where you're going with this" said Corea "I'm probably going to regret saying this, but what are you talking about?"

"I'm going to keep you so you don't leave" said Dai "I'll lock you up and make sure you're guarding well, no more desertions. You belong to me so I'll keep you all to myself" Corea looked down in a regretful fashion.

"I see that these years haven't improved your mental state" said Corea "What I would give to undo what's been done"

 _Meanwhile_

Leia and the others reached the _Millennium Falcon_.

"Chewie, take Han to the quarters" said Leia. Chewbacca nodded and walked up the ramp with Han. "3PO, follow them and meet me in the cockpit"

"What are you going to do?" asked C-3PO.

"I'm going to fulfill the plan" said Leia. As C-3PO entered the ship, Leia pulled out a flare gun and shot a flare into the air.

 _Meanwhile_

Dai's attention was turned towards the flare which appeared as a bright light through the tent's roof.

"Captain, go outside and check on the Rebels" said Dai.

"Yes, my lady" said the Death Watch captain as he rushed outside.

"So; your plan, I guess?" said Dai.

"You could say that" said Corea. Suddenly, she bashed Dai in the stomach with her elbows. "As much as I would protect my friends at any cost, I wasn't going to simply hand myself over either" She rushed out of the tent.

"Captain, Corea is escaping!" snarled Dai into her comlink "Stop her before she escapes!"

"Understood" said the Death Watch captain out of her comlink.

 _Meanwhile_

As Corea rushed through the camp, the Death Watch warriors around her began shooting at her.

"Gonna' have to double it!" said Corea. She activated her jetpack and shot forwards towards the _Falcon_. Suddenly however, a cable shot forward from behind her, attached to her boots, and pulled her down. "This is not good!" The Death Watch captain landed in front of her.

"Going somewhere?" said the Death Watch captain.

"Yes, I was" said Corea "And I still am!" She leapt up onto her feet.

"Listen here; I really don't want to hurt you, but I have my orders to follow" said the Death Watch captain "So we can do this the easy or the hard way, your choice"

"Well…I guess I'll choose the hard way" said Corea. She made a sharp whistle which was heard by Chewbacca who was standing on the ramp of the _Falcon_ as it was hovering in the air. The Wookiee turned back towards the inside of the ship and roared.

"Let's light them up!" said Leia who sat in the pilot seat. She opened fire on the camp which caused many of the Death Watch warriors to turn their attention to the _Falcon_.

"Lady Vizsla, the _Falcon_ is—" said the Death Watch captain shortly before Corea kicked him across the face.

"You Death Watch really are just shells of the warriors you used to be" said Corea. She activated her jetpack again and shot away onto the ramp of the _Falcon_ as it took off with Chewbacca helping her up onboard. As they lifted off into the sky, she looked down at Dai and the Death Watch captain as they rushed up towards the _Falcon_. "Sorry for cutting the reunion short, sister; But know this, whatever we have it's between us and us alone. If you ever hurt my friends again, I will make you pay" The _Falcon_ closed its ramp and flew off into the sky.

"Scramble the fighters!" snarled Dai "Shoot them down!"

"My lady; by the time we assemble the fighters, they will have already be making the jump to lightspeed" said the Death Watch captain "And even if we did launch them in time, the _Falcon_ would only slip through" Dai clenched her fists and looked up in the sky.

"When next we meet, sister…I will cut your limbs off" said Dai "Then you won't be able to run away"

"Still, I don't know why we didn't use the secret weapon" said the Death Watch captain.

"We'll use it next time" said Dai "And I won't hold…not even against Corea!"

 **Author's note** : I hope the Death Watch in this chapter didn't come off to much like pushovers; I wanted to keep the plot rolling and I also wanted to show how the Death Watch was becoming weaker since their split from the True Mandalorians.

 **Hope Reigns On** : You'll just have to wait and see how it plays out since I've got big plans for it later in the series. I hope you enjoy it.

 **Just a Crazy Man** : Thanks for showing support; but as I've said before, I'd appreciate it if your reviews were a bit more than just "Luv".

 **randyr2015** : Thanks, I appreciate the support. I've got about two more chapters planned before I go on mid-season break in order to refresh myself. I hope I can get them out in good time.


	8. Sidetracked on Nar Shaddaa

**Author's note** : Sorry about the long delay; I've been getting pretty tangled up recently, but I eventually came through in the end. I hope you all enjoy the new chapter and let me know what you think in the comments because I really appreciate it.

 **Sidetracked on the Smuggler's Moon**

 _Secrets revealed! After travelling to the planet Ryien in hopes of setting up a new rebel base, Han Solo and C-3PO found themselves captured by the murderous Mandalorian terrorist group known as Death Watch now under the command of the unstable Dai Vizsla! After finding who Han was, Vizsla attempted to ransom him back to the Alliance in exchange for Corea Narth, now revealed to have been a deserter to the organization!_

 _With the help of Princess Leia and Chewbacca, the Alliance was able to rescue Han and 3PO along with Corea. However; while making the exchange, it was discovered that Corea was in fact a sister to Dai Vizsla who left Death Watch because of a falling out! Now the five of them are on the run in hyperspace, but what will be the consequences of these new revelations…_

 _Hyperspace_

As the _Millennium Falcon_ sped through hyperspace, Han slowly made his way to the cockpit where Leia and Chewbacca were piloting.

"So you're up again" said Leia.

"Yeah, that bit of rest did me good" said Han "Now; with all that over, I can get back to something that can actually be enjoyed—piloting the _Falcon_!" But as he stepped forward, he instantly clutched onto his chest in pain.

"Chewie, mind the controls for me" said Leia as she stood up. Chewbacca growled in response and Leia walked over to Han, helping him regain balance. "You should take it easier, maybe rest a bit more"

"And leave the _Falcon_ in the hands of someone else, I don't think so" smirked Han. Leia only scowled in response.

"I was only concerned because of your injuries and how further strain could cause permanent damage" said Leia "Now that I think about it, however, maybe being refined to disability for the rest of your life would actually do you some good because maybe just maybe you'll learn some goddamn humility!"

"That turned nasty pretty quick" said Han.

"Maybe because you don't know when to shut up" said Leia "3PO told me about how you kept yapping at that Death Watch captain"

"I was just keeping him occupied" said Han "It's how you handle situations like these"

"You could have easily been killed back there" said Leia "But…I appreciate the fact that you didn't rat us out, no matter how much the captain threatened and pressured you"

"So, 3PO told you that as well" said Han.

"He was there too, so I figured he'd give the more accurate story" said Leia.

"So, where's Corea at the moment?" asked Han.

"She's in the second hold" said Leia "She said she needed some alone time. I allowed it, but she's got a lot to answer for in due time"

"Allowed her, huh?" said Han.

"What I meant by that is that I find something about her that she was hiding and I wanted to hear from her but she wasn't feeling the best so I let her have some alone time" said Leia "But rest assured, I will approach her when she's ready"

 _Meanwhile_

Corea sat cross-legged on top of a crate in the number two hold before laying her back down on the crate behind her.

"That must have been hell for you" said a voice. Corea pulled herself up and saw Han leaning against the wall at the entrance.

"You have no idea" said Corea "When I left I thought I would hear the last of her, I hoped the galaxy would deal with it for me; but I was just stupid to even think that"

"We all think that from time to time" said Han as he walked over and sat next to her "We all just want the galaxy to solve our problems for us so we don't have to go through the pain of it all over again; sadly however, the galaxy just doesn't care about our problems and ignores them"

"Yeah, the galaxy is a real pain" said Corea.

"You know; if you hadn't told me about Dai before now, I probably would have been less confident when confronting her" said Han "But I must admit that you didn't mention exactly _how_ crazy she was"

"She seems to have gotten worse" said Corea "Her mental state has deteriorated greatly since I last saw her, and it was already in bad condition back then. Do you think…Do you think maybe my departure caused that to her?"

"It was probably a lot of things" said Han "Remember, she had already gone mad by the time you left"

"But this was worse" said Corea "She's gotten worse, and I just stood by and let it happen"

"I wouldn't say stood by—" said Han before Corea gave him a scowl "Okay; maybe I'm not the "sensitive" or "emotions guiding" kind of guy, I'm just trying to help in whatever way I can. Just…give me some credit"

"Wow, that's your "sensitive and helpful" side" said Leia as she entered the hold with Chewbacca and C-3PO "I'm not actually that surprised" She turned towards Corea. "I hope this isn't a bad time, but I'd like to hear your story"

"My story…" said Corea.

"I've learnt some things about you today that are somewhat dubious but not enough to see the full picture" said Leia "So I would appreciate hearing it fully"

"It's…complicated" said Corea.

"Okay, then give me the basics" said Leia.

"Alright" said Corea in a downed way "My real name is not Corea Narth. It's Vizsla—Corea Vizsla"

"That much is obviously from discovering your sister" said Leia "So how does the rest of the story go?"

"It starts long before I was born" replied Corea "For many generations, the Mandalorians were proud warriors. We fought against the Jedi as well as with them to the point where no one knew where we truly stood. To most of the galaxy, we were just barbarians; butchering everything in our path with no regard for the consequences. But this wasn't true; we had a sense of honor, we lived for battle. It was in battle that we proved ourselves as warriors; win or lose, we lived for it"

"It was certainly hard to see from our end" said Leia "So what happened next?"

"Like I said, it's complicated and this is where things might get tangled up a bit" said Corea "Shortly after the reformation of the Galactic Republic, Mandalore began to grow more advanced. This frightened both the Republic and the Jedi and they decided to pressure Mandalore into joining them so we could be eliminated as a potential threat. Conflict arose amongst the Mandalorian clans; some of them thought it would be good idea to be part of the Republic and urged the others to consider it. As you'd imagine however, that didn't turn out well. Naturally of course, the Republic didn't want to suffer another war because of the Mandalorians; so if we weren't with them, we were their enemy. They decided to pacify us"

"I've heard of this" said Leia "The Mandalorian Excision" Corea gave Leia a death-stare. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend"

"Mandalorian Excision?" said Corea "Yes, that's what the galaxy called it. But do you know what we called it? _Dral'Han_ …the Annihilation. As usual; whatever the Republic couldn't have, it buried. Many of the beautiful forests of Mandalore were burned to the ground, reduced to white sand deserts. From the ashes of the conflict arose a new faction who called themselves the New Mandalorians. They were a pacifist and political-based society who renounced violence as well as the warrior ways. Clearly these new peaceful ways were effective because the Republic eased up on them and offered them a position in the Galactic Senate but allowed them to stay neutral whenever something big was going on. And for a further show of good faith, they cut off all ties to the clans who would not submit to them and banished them from Mandalore"

"So I'm guessing this is where Death Watch comes into play" said Leia.

"It will in a moment" said Corea "The remaining Mandalorian clans who supported the warrior ways continued to live on in our traditions until eventually splitting off into two separate factions; those who upheld the code of honor and traditions became known as the True Mandalorians whilst the other faction became barbaric, butchering terrorists who named themselves Death Watch. The latter of which was founded by Clan Vizsla. Death Watch not only despised the New Mandalorian pacifist culture and wanted to eradicate them from the face of Mandalore, but they also believed that Mandalorians should rule the galaxy and destroy everyone and everything that lay in their way"

"You seem to hold some animosity towards the New Mandalorians as well" said Leia.

"I admit; I'm not overly fond of the New Mandalorians myself and I'm especially not fond of the way they labeled us all as just murderers and plunderers, but neither would I say I wanted them dead. That's what separates the True Mandalorians from Death Watch. About two decades before the outbreak of the Clone Wars, Death Watch was scattered and their original leader was killed; eventually however, they reunited under another member of Clan Vizsla. That man was my father—Pre Vizsla"

"I've heard of this Pre Vizsla" said Leia "My father told me about how he terrorized the New Mandalorians and targeted Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore. She had lots of issues with the Galactic Senate"

"I may never have met Duchess Satine, but I have met her sister Bo-Katan who told me a lot about her" said Corea "I may have big issues with the New Mandalorians, but I respect her. She cared a lot about her people and wanted what was best for them; that was one part of the original Mandalorians that stayed with her. I wish she and the True Mandalorians could have seen eye-to-eye; we had a common foe in the form of Death Watch and could have been allies"

"So where do you and Dai come in?" asked Leia.

"Very shortly" said Corea "Unbeknownst to the rest of the Mandalorian community, my father married a fellow Mandalorian warrior by the name of Persephone Narth who already had a daughter—my older sister Dai. Both of them were accepted into Clan Vizsla so they both took on the name. Eventually however, I was born; and then shortly afterwards, my mother was killed by a rogue Mandalorian warrior. I assume your father gave you the rundown of what happened between Death Watch and the New Mandalorians"

"Everything he could from his position in the senate" said Leia.

"Then here's the part you probably didn't hear about" said Corea "After my mother's death, my father raised me and my sister on Mandalore's moon of Concordia; he kept both of us secret from the New Mandalorians and most of Death Watch. At first, things seemed good and fair; but after we evacuated from Concordia, father began to show favoritism"

"Towards Dai?" asked Leia.

"No, towards me" replied Corea "The bond between Mandalorian clans is not supposed to be exclusively through bloodlines, and yet father favored me because I was his biological daughter. I never realized it at the time, but he wanted me to be his heir. This upset Dai, because she was meant to be his heir before I was born. So she began pushing herself, trying to gain father's attention, trying to win his approval back; until one day, everything changed forever"

"What happened?" asked Leia.

"Father died" replied Corea "This shocked Dai because it meant she would never win back his approval"

"That must have been so tormenting for her" said Leia.

"You have no idea" said Corea "Dai didn't care about how neglectful father was towards her, winning back his approval was everything to her at this point and now she could never achieve it"

"So what happened next?" asked Leia.

"Fast forward several years later; the Mandalorian Civil War between the New Mandalorians and the Nite Owls against the Mandalorian super commandos, the remanence of Death Watch" replied Corea "Bo-Katan Kryze came out victorious and hoped to achieve peace with the New Mandalorians by merging their two cultures together, but that didn't sit well with Dai. Winning father's approval was so much of an obsession for her at this point that it had evolved into an obsession about father himself in general, including Death Watch's take on our culture. She eventually left Mandalore with a group of other resentful Mandalorians and took me with them. She spent the next few years regrouping Death Watch with the goal of enforcing the Mandalorian ways upon all, or at least the twisted and deformed version she had pulled together. I went along at first; with father gone, she was the only family I had left. But before I knew it, my life changed forever yet again"

"And what happened this time?" asked Leia.

"I met the real Mandalorians" replied Corea "I ran into a remnant of True Mandalorians who were part of Clan Ordo. Everything between us was…rocky at first, to say the least; but eventually, we came to trust one another, and I learnt much from them. The struggles of the Mandalorians, the atrocities my father and Death Watch had committed, and I even found out the truth about my mother. For the longest time, I had thought the True Mandalorians were responsible for my mother's death as my father had said; but thanks to them, I found out it was just a rogue warrior who was no longer affiliated with them. But it was around this time that things took a turn for the worse; throughout my time with Dai's Death Watch, she left me behind at the base while she and other Death Watch members would go out each day and come back with loot, weapons, and equipment, to which I never knew the source of. But during my time with the Mandalorians, we eventually ran into one of their "outings" and found out what they did"

"And what was it?" asked Leia.

"They pillaged villages" replied Corea "From the looks of it; it was gain valuables and assets as well as to state their bloodlust. I caught Dai after she had just finished off a family; and from the looks of it, they were already wounded and couldn't escape. This was the first time I ever saw it; the wild and crazed look in her eyes, it was like shattered glass glazed in blood. That sight haunted me ever since…I thought she was going to kill me"

"So what did you do then?" asked Leia.

"I ran…" replied Corea "I abandoned everyone, including my new friends in Clan Ordo. Learning the terrible things my clan had committed was a lot to handle, but seeing my sister killing innocents out of blind rage was too much for me. I deserted and skulked off into the galactic underworld until I eventually crossed paths with Han on Nal Hutta"

"Han, did you know about this?" asked Leia. Han was about to open his mouth when Corea gestured him to stop.

"Yes, he was the first person I told" replied Corea "Ever since my desertion, I had trouble opening up to people because I wasn't sure what they'd make of me. The Mandalorians had developed such a bad reputation thanks to Death Watch and other issues they had with the Galactic Community over the centuries. But I came to trust Han; and eventually, I told him my story"

"I don't believe it!" snapped Leia "Han, you knew about everything all this time and you never said anything?!"

"Wasn't my place to tell" said Han.

"Wasn't your place to tell!" snapped Leia "Are you serious!"

"Okay, how about "you never asked"?" said Han "Does that make it better?"

"Of course it doesn't!" snapped Leia. Chewbacca growled. "And of course it matters. It was only a few months ago that Luke and Ahsoka were attacked by a group of Mandalorians who almost killed them both; information like this could be vital"

"I wasn't even with the Alliance at the time, remember?" said Corea "How could I possibly give you information when I wasn't even there?"

"Okay, but what about today?" asked Leia.

"I helped you today, remember?" replied Corea.

"But you left out lots of important information, including your connection to Lady Vizsla" said Leia "A lie of omission is still a lie"

"I wasn't ready yet" said Corea.

"That's no excuse" said Leia.

"You're just looking for every reason to say I'm the bad guy in this, aren't you?!" snapped Corea as she shot up "Sounds awfully familiar"

"And what is that supposed to imply?" asked Leia.

"Do you really think the Empire was the first corrupt government in the galaxy?" said Corea "The problems of the galaxy began long before the Empire, and a lot of it were caused by the Republic. Face it; they played a role in creating Death Watch and they pressured others into accepting their law by force only to turn a blind eye in times of need, all while preaching peace"

"I admit, the Republic didn't have stable and fair leadership at every moment in galactic history—" said Leia.

"Yeah, that's what I expected" said Corea.

"If you have so many issues with the Old Republic, then why did you join a government whose goal is to restore it?" asked Leia.

"Because it's not that Republic it's going to restore" said Corea "It became the Empire long ago. I admit that I was on the fence on what to make of the Alliance when the war started years ago; I knew what the Republic had done to my people and the thoughts of the same Republic coming back to haunt the galaxy unsettled me, but I eventually convinced myself that you were the good guys in this situation. After all, you had the perfect example of a bad government to avoid. That's why I approached Han on Nar Shaddaa and that's why I chose to stay, to make sure this Alliance wasn't going to turn into the next Empire. I am at peace with the thought of a New Republic, just promise to be a better one than the last one" She exited the hold in a huff.

"I seriously can't believe you didn't let the rest of us about this" said Leia "And yet at the same time, I shouldn't be surprised"

"She was going to tell you when she was ready" said Han.

"I'm afraid that's not good enough" said Leia.

"Now you're just going around in circles" said Han.

"What she kept from us was something that affects the wider galaxy" said Leia "And you stood by and did nothing. Typical"

"Geez, I thought of all people would be the "understanding and forgiving" type" said Han.

"I am" said Leia "But…but there has to be a line to draw; and when it gets crossed, things have to be taken with the utmost seriousness"

"I don't think you paid attention to her story" said Han "Corea may have been born to a Mandalorian clan and she may have been the preferred child; but if you think she's had it easy, then you're just plain wrong. She never knew her mother, her father seemed to treat her well but was actually using her and then died, her sister went insane and started killing civilians, she found out that the belief her family taught her was all a lie and that her clan was in fact reviled by the Mandalorian community; it was all too much for her in the end so she ran. She never had a fancy castle or a loving and stable family to look after her and treat her well"

"Don't bring my father and mother into this!" snapped Leia.

"Chewie and I were the first to accept her for who she was and she thought the Alliance would too" said Han "And you know what; right now, you're starting to sound an awful lot like that Fey'lya guy" A stunned look fell on Leia's face and Han smirked in response. "Truth hurts, doesn't it? Now if you'll excuse me, I'm in the mood to play some dejarik" He walked out of the hold which caused Leia to sigh in response.

 _Meanwhile on Corellia_

On the eighth floor within a medical facility in Coronet City, K'Kruhk stepped out of an elevator as it opened and was greeted by a 2-1B surgical droid.

"Greetings, General K'Kruhk" said the medical droid "We have been informed of your visit"

"Take me to her, please" said K'Kruhk.

"This way" said the medical droid. He brought K'Kruhk across the hallway and to a door. He then entered a key code into a panel next to the door which opened it and they entered into a small ward on the other side. On the bed that was the third closest to the door, a blotched-colored humanoid laid on it unconscious. As the two of them walked over to the bed, the humanoid was revealed to be Chelaa Secura. "Here she is" Chelaa's eyes were wide-shut and her head was covered in bandages from where Kionzin had cut her lekku off at. Her right wrist appeared to be attached to a drip which lay at the side of her bed and was providing her liquid. But perhaps the greatest change of all was her skin color; it was now a mixture her usual blue color along with light Human-colored skin giving it a mottled appearance. "She's been in and out of consciousness for the last few days and hasn't had any visitors until now. Aside from the loss of her lekku and other damages to her body, she should make a recovery given time"

"What happened to her skin?" asked K'Kruhk.

"While taking care of her here, we washed her continuously and discovered that she was covered in blue skin paint and that only parts of her were actually colored blue" replied the medical droid "That is her actual skin color"

"I've never seen a Twi'lek with mottled skin like this before" said K'Kruhk "How did this happen?"

"We took a DNA test and found out the source of this" replied the medical droid "It appears that she is half-Human and that is the source of her skin color"

"Half Human?" said K'Kruhk "You can't be serious. When I first met her years ago, I met her parents. Her mother was a younger sister of Aayla Secura and her father was a respected businessman. If both her parents were Twi'leks, how could she possibly be half-Human?"

"Our tests do not lie and we took them multiple them multiple times for absolute certainty" replied the medical droid "She is indeed half-Human half-Twi'lek. However; I only know of her genetics, I do not know of her past. Perhaps she could tell you when she wakes up"

"I suppose you're right" said K'Kruhk as he sat down on a chair beside Chelaa's bedside.

"I am afraid I have other patients to attend to so I must leave now" said the medical droid "However, you are free to stay here as long as you may like. Since we are not sure when she'll regain consciousness again, you can book a room at the hotel in the hospital's lobby so you can stay here longer"

"Thanks, but I may have other things to adjourn to eventually" said K'Kruhk "I'll stay as long as I can though"

"As you wish" said the medical droid before exiting the ward. K'Kruhk breathed in a sigh and slowly and gently grabbed ahold of Chelaa's left hand.

"Chelaa…what haven't you been telling me?" asked K'Kruhk.

 _Meanwhile_

As the _Millennium Falcon_ came out of hyperspace above Nar Shaddaa, Han entered the cockpit.

"We're at Corellia already?" said Han "Wow, that was quicker than…Wait, that's Nar Shaddaa! What are we doing here?"

"There's been a change of plans, I'm afraid" replied Leia "Mon Mothma contacted me saying that there was a rebel destress signal coming from this moon"

"Really?" said Han "What was it about?"

"It was mostly blank, I'm afraid" replied Leia "All we know is that they're trapped on the planet and need our help"

"Why us?" asked Han "We just took a beating from Death Watch, isn't there another group in better shape who could take this up?"

"We were the closest to the system" replied Leia "And given the urgency of the distress signal, it was best to answer it as quick as possible. Besides, given how you and 3PO were the only ones who took damage—"

"Just me" said Han.

"Chewie, Corea, and myself can be able to handle this" said Leia "You and Chewie have visited this place multiple times from what I heard and Corea lived here for a short time, so they should be familiar with the environment"

"And what about you?" asked Han.

"I was only here once and I was brief so I didn't see much" replied Leia "I'll have to rely on Chewie and Corea for guidance and I've been in hostile environments before"

"Fair enough" said Han "Still though, this all seems suspicious. Some random distress with little information to it that just conveniently comes out of the blue on Nar Shaddaa of all places; if that doesn't scream suspicious, I don't know what does"

"Which is why we're going to have to take extreme caution" said Leia "Nar Shaddaa is layered and intensely populated, just like Coruscant's underworld. It's easy to get lost, which makes it extremely dangerous. But we will find out what's happening down there" Within the next few minutes, Leia and Chewbacca piloted the _Falcon_ down to the planet's surface and landed it on a landing platform. As the entrance ramp lowered, Leia pulled on a brown cloak and met Corea at the loading ramp. "Where's Chewbacca?"

"He went back to his room to collect some smoke grenades in case we needed a quick mistake" replied Corea "You can never have enough smoke grenades. Although I think he did mention about collecting something else, but I got distracted and forgot what it was" She began looking at Leia up and down with fascination. "Hmm…"

"What is it?" asked Leia.

"I'm not so sure about this disguise of yours" said Corea.

"What's wrong with it?" asked Leia "But before you say anything, I'll let you know that this cloak was the only change of clothes I could find. For someone who's used to being on the run, Han doesn't really have a high supply of outfits to wear"

"Nothing with the cloak" replied Corea "It's inconspicuous, fits a shady underground setting…The problem I feel lies with the hair"

"What about it?" asked Leia.

"It's rather distinctive" said Corea "Ever see your average street girl wear her hair up in buns like that? Just feels too much like royalty or whatever. Besides; Nar Shaddaa attracts all sorts of scum, including Imperial scum. You're too well known by the Empire; and if anyone associated with them spotted you casually walking down the streets, they'd just need to make a quick call and we're all done for"

"Fine" said Leia as she undid her buns and let her hair fall down "I've been meaning to make a change anyway" Corea stared at her with wide-open eyes filled with surprise. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing" replied Corea "I just didn't know your hair was that long" At that moment, Chewbacca appeared from another room and growled at them. "Chewie, you're back. Got the grenades?" Chewbacca held up a pile of smoke grenades from a satchel on his hip and growled an "affirmative" groan. "Excellent"

"Let's go" said Leia. The three of them walked down the ramp and stood outside the ship for a moment to examine their surroundings.

"You know; when I left this filth ball with Han several months back and swore never to come back here again, I never imagined I would end up back here again"

"The distress signal was specified to have come from this particular district, so that at least narrows it down a bit" said Leia, ignoring the quip Corea just made "That's why we landed here specifically. Now it's just a matter of working out exactly where it came from"

"Well, all we have is an uncountable number of streets filled with thugs, corruption, and desperation so I'm sure it will be a breeze to find" said Corea.

"If they sent out a distress beacon, they'd be prepared to signal us in case we were coming" said Leia "Let's get started, but we have to be wary in case it's a trap"

"Which it very likely is" said Corea.

"It is a possibility which we won't rule out, but neither will we rule out the possibility it is Rebels in distress" said Leia. The three of them began walking off down the decaying and poorly-lit streets. The further they walked down the street, the darker it got and more and more shady characters appeared around them and watched them closely.

"AH!" screamed out a homeless Gotal which caused the three of them to step back in shock "What are you talking about? I…I'm…I'm rich…look at me…I can afford it…" He held a bottle of alcohol up in the air. "See this? I bought…Yeah, that's right; I bought it with my own money…how could I afford it if I wasn't, y'know, ric…" He passed out.

"Not a very hospitable place, isn't it?" said Leia.

"This is the place everyone in the galaxy goes to when there's nowhere else to go" said Corea "Most of the population are the poor and the desperation, and of course the corrupt take full advantage of it"

"You mean like the Hutts?" asked Leia.

"Well…yeah, basically" replied Corea "But if I were you, try not to mention them that much. This is Hutt Space, sister; if you get caught badmouthing them, they'll take it personally" As they walked down the street, they passed by a Weequay thug and a Gammorrean thug who shot daggers at them. "Speaking of which, make sure that cloak is covering you entirely. A lot of desperate people here; if they see someone wearing fancy white clothing, they might start getting ideas"

"Hold it right there!" snapped a voice. As a Trandoshan thug walked up to them, Chewbacca growled at him

"Who are you?" asked Leia.

"Name's Kruhssk" replied the Trandoshan "And you've just stepped foot in prohibited territory" Chewbacca was about to lunge at him but Corea gestured him to stay put.

"What do you mean by that exactly?" asked Corea.

"This district is under control of Rotta the Hutt" replied Kruhssk "And my job is to keep track of outsiders entering the area, including you"

"What's that got to do with anything?" asked Leia.

"All outsiders have to pay a toll for entering designated districts like this one" replied Kruhssk "Play along and things can go smoothly"

"Okay, then what's the toll?" asked Leia.

"200 credits per visit" replied Kruhssk.

"What, you can't be serious?!" snapped Corea.

"I am serious" said Kruhssk "And here's something else I'm being serious about…" He pulled a spiked club from his back. "If you won't pay the toll, then you must leave immediately; and failure to comply will be met with extreme consequences"

"You've got to be kidding!" snapped Corea "200 credits just to go into some district!"

"I don't make the rules, I just enforce them" said Kruhssk "And the fact that I get joy and satisfaction out of it is just a juicy bonus" He looked over at Chewbacca and smirked sadistically. "Speaking of juicy bonuses; if you three don't comply soon, Rotta just might allow me to keep your Wookiee's pelt as a trophy. I already have three…" Chewbacca bared his teeth in anger. "Come to think of it, I actually somewhat hope you resist; gives me a good reason to win another Wookiee pelt" It was at that moment that Chewbacca could not hold back anymore and lunged towards the smirking Trandoshan, only to be just held back by Corea.

"Hold it, big fella!" said Corea "A fight will only draw attention to us!" Kruhssk's smirk widened.

"So…you're desperate to stay hidden, huh?" said Kruhssk.

"Hang on!" said Leia. She pulled a satchel from her waist and grabbed out 200 credits. "Here; 200 credits, just like you said" She extended her hand out and placed them in Kruhssk's palm. "Now, will you leave us be?" Kruhssk's smirk widened even further for a moment before he placed his club back on his back.

"Pleasure doing business with you" said Kruhssk as he placed the credits into his pocket "Be on your way" He walked past them and disappeared down the alleyway.

"That was a close one" said Leia.

"I just hope no one saw you flash that cash around" said Corea. As they walked down the alleyway, mysterious figures with white glowing eyes watched them carefully and followed them quietly. "You know it's funny; you may be a princess, but I'd never expected you to carry credits around like that"

"It was in case we needed to entice Lady Vizsla further" said Leia.

"Yeah, like that would have worked" said Corea sarcastically.

"We didn't know exactly how unstable she was, you weren't exactly helpful when it came to information" said Leia. Corea shot daggers at her. "But Mon Mothma and I felt it was necessary to keep more bases covered. Besides, there was still the option of winning over some of her men"

"The problem with that is she'd probably kill them for being bought out" said Corea,

"Well, we didn't know" said Leia "You were extremely vague, remember?" Corea groaned and turned away. Leia however sighed. Thinking back to her argument with Han back on the _Falcon_ , she felt the need to talk to someone about how it ended. "Corea, do you think I sound like Fey'lya?"

"What, that Bothan guy?" said Corea "Is this really the right time?"

"Please, just tell me the truth" said Leia "Do I sound like him?"

"Well, I wouldn't know" replied Corea "I don't really know him that well. Politics aren't really my thing; I'm a warrior, fighting is my field. Why do you ask?"

"Well…ah, forget I said anything" said Leia "Let's just—" It was at that moment that various commando droids leapt down in front of them and pointed their blasters at them.

"Blast it, commando droids!" exclaimed Corea.

"Quick, the other way!" said Leia. The three of them turned around but were met with more commando droids leaping down in front of them. "Okay, then I guess we're surrounded" The three of them pulled out their blasters and aimed them at the commando droids around; but before anyone could shoot, the sound of slow-clapping echoed from behind them.

"Smartly done, I really have to give you praise" said a voice "Although these are my property, so I would prefer it if you didn't damaged them in any way" The three of them turned around to see Shifty walking towards them, his presence unfazed by the commando droids.

"Shifty…" groaned Corea while Chewbacca snorted in annoyance.

"Shifty?" said Leia.

"Wait, you two have met?" asked Corea, noticing the familiarity tone in Leia's voice

"Of course we have, I could never forget the lovely Princess Leia" said Shifty in sycophantic yet charming tone "It is so good to see you again, my dear. And you, Corea; I had heard you were back in the game now, it's good to see you as well"

"Honestly, I would have preferred it if I never saw you again" said Corea.

"And the mighty Chewbacca; I couldn't forget you, of course" said Shifty whilst ignoring Corea's comment. Chewbacca merely grunted and rolled his eyes. "I must say, you handled that Trandoshan back there nicely"

"Let me guess, your doing?" said Corea "Some prank you're pulling now to get more money, scary civilians into handing over their cash to thugs they think work for Rotta"

"Not at all" said Shifty "He actually works for Rotta, I've seen him collect loans and tolls many times. Still though, I appreciate that you favor deals over war; it's how I like to handle things"

"What are you doing here?" asked Corea "We're busy and need to be on our way"

"Ah, no doubt you're looking for the source of the Rebel distress beacon" said Shifty.

"That's classified information" said Leia "How are you supposed to know about?"

"Because if you are looking for the source, look no further than myself" replied Shifty.

"Wait, you mean to tell us that you sent out the desperate distress signal that we're here about?" said Corea. From the smirk that he made at that moment, you could tell that Shifty was saying "yes". "Well, you'd better have a good reason for dragging us out; otherwise you will have just wasted our time"

"I have a good reason" said Shifty "A friend of mine is in a spot of trouble and could use your help" said Shifty. Chewbacca shook his head in frustration.

"You pulled us out here just to help your friend?" said Corea.

"Yes I did" said Shifty "However, his problems are a little out of my lead; especially since it has something to do with some "Nightsister" or whatever" The moment he uttered that word, something spiked in Leia's mind.

"Nightsister, are you serious?" asked Leia.

"Very serious" said Shifty "He's been having trouble with this girl for some time and came to me for shelter. However; since we knew it wouldn't stop her forever, we decided to get some outside help"

"Tell us more" said Leia.

"In due time" said Shifty "First however, we need to get back to my place; I feel uncomfortable discussing stuff like this out in the open. Follow me" He began walking off down the alleyway with his commando droids following him.

"Wait, let me first contact Han" said Leia.

"He's already at my place" said Shifty "I've been watching you three since you landed and had some of my droids enter your ship the moment you were out of sight"

"How easy did Han comply?" asked Corea.

"Not very easy, I'm afraid" replied Shifty "He put up a fair fight and took out several of my droids before they managed to stun him"

"So what do you suggest we do next, Princess?" asked Corea quietly.

"I guess just go along with it for now" replied Leia quietly "But definitely keep your guard up at all times" The three of them followed Shifty and his commando droids.

 _A few minutes later_

"Almost there" said Shifty as they walked past a rundown motel "Just a little further and—"

"Could you just stop narrating our journey already?" said Corea "We already have to put up with your presence as it is" As she let out a sigh, she slowly turned towards Leia. "So what exactly is a Nightsister, anyway?"

"I only know about them from what my father and Master Kota told me" replied Leia "Have you ever heard of the Witches of Dathomir?"

"Sort of" replied Corea "Underworld talk mostly, but nothing very specific"

"The Witches of Dathomir are the Force-sensitive natives of the planet who utilize the dark side of the Force" replied Leia "Very mysterious figures, I don't think they've ever directly been on the side of the Jedi or the Sith in any major conflicts. The Nightsisters are one of the many clans; they were perhaps the most well-known amongst them and were identified by their red clothing

"Not that well-known, apparently" said Corea "After all, I haven't really heard of them"

"Most of them were killed off when the Confederacy of Independent Systems invaded Dathomir during the Clone Wars" said Leia.

"Okay, I guess that's why I haven't heard of them" said Corea "Most of them, huh? So happened to the ones who weren't a part of that "most"?"

"The few survivors were incarcerated when the Empire invaded Dathomir and declared martial law" replied Leia "The Emperor must have viewed them as a potential threat. Despite this however, Luke and Ahsoka have had recent run-ins with a Nightsister named Cath'la"

"Given what you've told me, do you think she's the same one we're dealing with here?" asked Corea.

"Very likely" said Leia "The worst part is that we don't know where she stands or what her motives are; her actions always seem to be random, and that makes her very unpredictable" It was at that moment that they arrived at the abandoned building where Shifty's hideout was located.

"Here we are" said Shifty "Home sweet home" They stepped through the shaded entrance and into the decorated main room, which appeared to have added multiple new weapons and equipment since the last time. As Leia, Corea, and Chewbacca looked around the room, they spotted Han and C-3PO sitting on a couch in the corner.

"Han!" said Corea as she rushed up to Han and hugging him.

"Corea, great!" said Han "Wait! Ow…Ow! Stop!"

"Oh, sorry!" said Corea as she let go of him and stepped back a few steps "You okay?"

"Yeah, fine" replied Han "You just pressured a sore spot from when I got tortured"

"I'm sorry about us not being there when you got boarded" said Leia as she and Chewbacca walked over to them "How bad was it?"

"Here's a hint; would have been way better if someone other than Mr. Polite here was backing me up" said Han as he pointed his thumb over to C-3PO.

"I've already told you about five times, Captain Solo; I am not programmed for violence so I cannot commit it" said C-3PO.

"Right, silly me!" said Han "When we're being swarmed by battle droids, I always forget how much of a coward you are when we're in danger and how you always scream!"

"I told, I cannot do what I am not programmed for" said C-3PO "I thought you would understand this by now" It was then that Han let out a loud sigh and covered his face with his hand.

"I swear; if you mention your programming one more time, I'm going to grab the nearest hydrospanner and give your programming a manual override you will never forget!" snapped Han.

"Good heavens!" said C-3PO "Was that a threat, Captain Solo?"

"For someone so technical, you really are thick" said Han. It was at that moment that Shifty snapped his fingers three times to get everyone's attention.

"Okay, okay, settle down" said Shifty "I brought you here to help us, not to bicker"

"Alright, fine" said Han "I suppose it's time to meet this friend of yours, the one who you've dragged us out of our way and coerced us into helping. Let's see 'em"

"I would say introduction are in order, but I believe you two have already met" said Shifty.

"Really?" said Han "Well, that at the very least makes everything much—" It was at that moment that Shifty walked over to a pair of blinds and pulled them away, revealing the doorway to another room. As he did this, Cad Bane stepped forward with Zuckuss and 4-LOM following closely behind him. A silence fell across the room.

"Hello, Solo" said Bane. Han immediately pulled out his blaster and pointed it at Bane and was soon followed by Leia, Corea, and Chewbacca.

"Cad Bane!" snarled Han.

 _Meanwhile_

Kruhssk whistled to himself as he walked through the street and up to a giant and imposing building that was the headquarters of Rotta the Hutt. Looking up at the height of the building, he let out a sharp whistle before walking over to the high-security door in and knocked on it several times. At that moment, the eye socket of a gatekeeper droid shot out and looked down at the Trandoshan standing in front of the door.

"Tee chuta hhat yudd!" said the gatekeeper.

"I'm back from my shift" said Kruhssk "I've got payments to unload" The gatekeeper droid said something in Huttese before laughing, pulling itself back in, and opening the door to let Kruhssk in. As the Trandoshan made his way into the corridor behind the door, he was soon approached by Kavi Umdal and two Klatoonian guards.

"Halt!" snapped Umdal. Kruhssk stopped in his tracks. "Identify yourself, Trandoshan"

"Geez; you're the majordomo, shouldn't you be keeping tabs on official "peace-keepers"?" said Kruhssk as he pulled out an identification card of himself which Umdal looked at for a second.

"Yes, this is genuine" said Umdal "You may precede"

"Geez, all I came here for was to drop this money off and then I'm heading straight to Jekk Jekk Tarr" said Kruhssk.

"Can't be too careful" said Umdal "Rumor is that Horgrun is hiring imposters to pose as official inspectors in an attempt to infiltrate his headquarters"

"Yeah, yeah; got it" said Kruhssk as he walked past them. As he moved along the corridor, he eventually reached the headquarters' main audience chamber where various devious-looking individuals (from common criminals to high-class bounty hunters) of various species ambled around and interacting with each other whilst loud music played in the background. Whilst Kruhssk went off to exchange the cash he collected for his daily payment, Rotta sat at the top of his pedestal and overlooked the environment with a vile smile.

"Enjoying your party, Hutt?" said a voice from the shadows "I thought you'd at least respect my reluctance to waiting"

"Calm down" said Rotta in Huttese "We have the location, so there's nothing to worry about"

"All the more reason why we should get this over and done with now" said the voice. Cath'la stepped out of the shadows and walked over to Rotta. "So it really begs the question on why we are not doing anything"

"In due time, my dear" smirked Rotta "In due time"

"The longer we wait, the more chance the bounty hunter has to escape" said Cath'la "When your enemy is in your sights, don't give them another opportunity"

"They're in my territory so there's no reason to worry that much" said Rotta.

"Then allow me to elaborate further" said Cath'la as she walked over to Rotta and stood in front of him "Our deal was that you help me track down this bounty hunter so I can kill him and in exchange I will give you the power to overthrow Horgrun"

"And so why haven't I received it yet?" asked Rotta.

"In due time" replied Cath'la "That is why it is called an exchange. Once you assist me, I will uphold my end of the deal"

"And how am I supposed to know you will?" asked Rotta.

"A good point" said Cath'la "So I will say this: you have my word. Trust me and think of what you will achieve" Rotta raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Imagine it—with Horgrun gone and out of the way, you would have free run throughout all of Nar Shaddaa with no one major to oppose you. You would become greater than a simple crime lord, you would be the Hutt High Lord of Nar Shaddaa" A slimy grin stretched across Rotta's face as he visualized what she was talking about. "You finally step out of your father's shadow and be a true force to be reckoned with in the underworld. The Hutt Council would view you as one of its most valued members and your criminal empire would be much more than a branch of your father's" Rotta chuckled evilly.

"I like the sound of that!" smirked Rotta.

"And the best part; the sooner you complete your end of the deal, the sooner I can complete my end" said Cath'la "It is truly only minutes away" Rotta licked his lips in a power hungry manner.

"You sure are very convincing" said Rotta.

"Now, assemble your men" said Cath'la

 _Meanwhile_

K'Kruhk sat by Chelaa's bedside, wondering continuously on whether or not she would wake up today. As his hopes slowly faded, he noticed a subtle twitch in her eyelids which caused to pull his full attention back towards her. Her eyelids again for another two times before her eyes gradually opened up.

"M…Master?" muttered Chelaa.

"Chelaa, are you alright?" asked K'Kruhk.

"I'm fine…" replied Chelaa "I just…I…I'm just a bit dizzy…what happened, could you remind me?"

"You don't remember?" asked K'Kruhk.

"I remember fighting Kionzin and I…lost…and he…he tortured me…" said Chelaa with a subtle look of horror coming across her face "I remember seeing you…and then I remember glimpses of bright light…and whiteness…the hospital…I could only just remember"

"Easy there" said K'Kruhk "The pain and stress must have affected your memory, try not to push it too hard"

"Right…" said Chelaa "Master…"

"What is it?" asked K'Kruhk.

"It's nice seeing you again" said Chelaa with a smile. She reached towards the back of her head; but when she felt nothing and grasped the air instead, she began breathing heavily. "Where…Oh no, where!?" As she began panicking, she caught a glimpse of her hands and gasped at the sight of her mottled skin. "No no no!" She quickly turned around and grabbed onto a mirror on her bedside table in panicky shock.

"Slow down, Chelaa!" exclaimed K'Kruhk "Try to pace yourself" As Chelaa held the mirror up to her face and took a long and ominous look at her reflection, tears began to roll down her face and she placed her forehead on it. "Chelaa, what is the matter?"

"I…I never wanted you to see me like this!" cried Chelaa "Like the freak I am!"

"You're not a freak, Chelaa" said K'Kruhk.

"They're gone…my lekku…they were taken" said Chelaa "They were taken by him, weren't they?" The memory of Kionzin slashing off her lekku echoed throughout her head. "He cut them off and took them!"

"It's okay" said K'Kruhk "The medical staff inform me that they can procure prosthetic lekku to go in their place"

"But it won't be the same" said Chelaa "My lekku were the only things that marked me as a Twi'lek; without them, I'm just a freak"

"You're not a freak" said K'Kruhk "You are Chelaa Secura of Clan Secura, your aunt was Aayla Secura of the old Jedi Order and your parents loved you very much"

"I was their burden" said Chelaa "And it wasn't because I was Force-sensitive, it was because of this!" She looked down at her colored wrists.

"Could you…Could you care to explain?" asked K'Kruhk. Chelaa closed her eyes and lowered her head.

"If it will get it off my chest, then I will" said Chelaa "I'm not a true Twi'lek, I'm a Twi'lek and Human cross. Many years ago, my mother was…abused by an Imperial officer and she only just got out of it. I was the result of it, and my mottled skin was a mark of what I truly was. Hybrids can come out in all sorts of ways, it was only fortunate that I looked Twi'lek enough to pass as one with only my skin color as a reminder of what I truly was. No one in my clan wanted the rest of Ryloth to know of what happened, so they gave me blue body paint to use while in public so it wouldn't raise any suspicions. At first, I thought it make me fit in; but the older I got, the more I realized that I was truly not one of them. My parents told me they loved me; but I could tell I was a burden to them, no matter how hard they lied to themselves about it. I was neither Twi'lek nor Human in a world where the Empire was feared by all; even if others didn't know what I was, I knew that I wasn't one of them. Eventually however, you came along and brought me to where you were hiding with those other padawans; and for once, I fitted in. I was with others who knew how it felt like to different from the rest of the world and I began coming to accept my place in the galaxy. But Kionzin came along and reminded me of why I was an outcast this whole time…"

"Chelaa, why didn't you tell me?" asked K'Kruhk.

"Because I was so used to not fitting in, I was afraid you would shun me like how my people would have shunned me" said Chelaa as she sat upright and turned her back towards K'Kruhk "Now the last true remnants of my Twi'lek heritage are gone…and it's all thanks to that salivating reptile…"

"I'm just glad you're alive" said K'Kruhk "It could have been much worse"

"Yes…" said Chelaa "Except now I have to live with all of this…" Worried about her, K'Kruhk placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Chelaa, if there's anything else—" said K'Kruhk.

"Please, just leave me alone…" said Chelaa. Reluctantly, K'Kruhk stood up and began walking to the exit.

"Chelaa, we all care about you no matter who you are" said K'Kruhk "Remember that" As he left the ward, Chelaa looked down at her palms before curling them up into a ball.

 _Meanwhile_

"So…not only have you met before, but you also seem to be well acquainted with each other" said Shifty.

"I told you that we have history" said Bane.

"Hmm, I suppose that's true" said Shifty "Although you didn't exactly specify the details about this history of yours"

"Then allow us to fill you in" said Leia "This scumbag bounty hunter tried to assassinate me!"

"And he worked for a Zygerrian slaver who was helping the Empire" said Han.

"Not to mention he initiated a prison break that saw the Rebel Alliance losing a lot of vital prisoners" said Corea "So I wouldn't say we're on the best of terms"

"Those were just jobs" said Bane.

"Which you more or less took on of your own free will" said Leia.

"I'm a bounty hunter; I have to find work" said Bane.

"Seriously, that's your excuse?" said Corea.

"We're not looking for excuses, we merely require your assistance and get it over and done with" said Zuckuss.

"Whatever it is, forget it" said Han "This is officially the biggest waste of time. Guys, it's time for us to make our lead"

"Hold on, just tell us about the Nightsister first" said Leia.

"So now you're interested" said Bane "Very well, I'll tell ya'. You want to know about this Nightsister, then I'll tell you about her. I first met her some time ago, said her name was Cath'la and said that she had a proposition for me. I was returning back to Coruscant from a job I had finished; and as I stepped foot inside my apartment, I discovered that I wasn't alone. Before I knew it, she was standing there before me. I was about to attack her; but then she began revealing what she was here for, so I decided to listen to her in case there was anything of use to me. She explained that she was working for someone who required my services, called himself the Master; and when she revealed what the job was, I got interested. She explained to me that she knew the identity of a former anonymous client of mine and that she could help me get more from him"

"Woah woah woah!" said Han "Hang on a sec; some strange lady appears in your apartment out of nowhere and the first thing you decide to do is listen to what she has to say?"

"I always look for opportunities, but I'm smart enough to recognize ulterior motives" said Bane "She told me about Cadfurew the Hutt and how he was currently incarcerated in your prison. She proposed that if I were to free him, he would repay me greatly"

"Seems like the smart thing to do" said Han sarcastically.

"Hey; if you really want to listen to my story, then do us both a favor and shut up" said Bane "Anyways; this seemed like too great an opportunity to miss, but I proceeded with caution because I knew she wasn't telling me everything. We gathered together a group of bounty hunters, including 4-LOM and Zuckuss here, and we devised a plan to infiltrate the prison"

"And we all know how that turned out" said Corea.

"Exactly" said Bane "So I'll just give you what's important. Eventually, I decided I had let her lead me around long enough and trapped her within an energy net. I intended to sell her as a slave on the black market, but then one of your Jedi interfered and that allowed her to escape. Afterwards, we headed to Tatooine to pick up a new job offer; but while we were contemplating it in the cantina, we had a run in with her and just managed to escape. She's been after us ever since then"

"Huh, hell hath no fury!" smirked Corea.

That's the gist of it; so, are you in or out?" Chewbacca growled and groaned.

"Chewie's got a point" said Han "Why come running to us for help?"

"I know I'm not the only one who's had troubles with this Nightsister" replied Bane "There was one point while we were assembling our group that she mentioned her encounters with that blonde Jedi friend of yours and his Togruta girlfriend, so I figured you'd be up for taking her down"

"We're also up for taking you down as well" said Han "Need I remind you that the encounters we've had in the past are ones we're you're trying to kill us?"

"And our friends as well" said Corea.

"Those were merely jobs and you and your friends were simply getting in my way" said Bane.

"You're not really selling yourself that well" said Han.

"Besides; from the sounds of it, you really brought it on yourself" said Corea.

"But he does bring up a valid point" said Leia. Everyone's eyes turned towards her. "Let me explain further; this war has been getting overly complicated lately mainly due to third party influences. The little we do know about this Nightsister includes that she works for a mysterious master who's been manipulating events throughout the war recently. If this is true, this would make him a third party influence. It would be better for everyone if this war remains between us and the Empire so we don't need any third parties getting involved. If her capture could potentially lead us to this mysterious master and thus eliminate a powerful influence on the tide of the conflict, then it is worth it"

"Worth giving this guy the slide after all he's done to us?" said Han.

"I'm not proud about it either" said Leia "But on this one occasion, he's the lesser evil. Cath'la the Nightsister has pestered Luke and Ahsoka and was responsible for that prison break. With only some vague knowledge on her motives and her connection to the Master, she's incredibly unpredictable and we have no idea what she's going to do next"

"Okay then" said Corea "But now onto the next question; what are we supposed to do? She's gotten the better of freaking Jedi and how are we supposed to deal with her"

"Maybe we could have if a certain someone had detailed that Jedi were essential for this rescue mission" said Bane as he turned his eyes towards Shifty with disdain.

"You…never specified it, really" said Shifty.

"Of course I specified it" said Bane as he turned fully towards Shifty "Wasn't it obvious that regular rebel scum were no match for this witch?"

"Jedi aren't just simple troops, there's only a handful of them left after what the Empire did" said Leia "We can't complain about it at this moment; if we're going to get through this, we have to come up with a strategy—"

"What a touching scene" said a voice. Everyone's attention was immediately turned towards a green light that was emanating from a carpet in front of them.

"Shifty, please tell me this is just a new feature you added to your hideout" said Han.

"I could say that, but it would be a lie" said Shifty. At that moment, the carpet shot off into the air as a trapdoor that lay beneath it burst open with the green light illuminating from it with an ominous feel. Carth'la slowly levitated from the trapdoor with her eyes glowing bright green with a threatening glare. As she slowly descended down and set foot on the ledge of the trapdoor, her eyes returned back to her normal color.

"Hello Bane" said Cath'la with absolute scorn "Like I said, it's very touching to see enemies come together as one against a common foe. And I thought you were above that, bounty hunter"

"You've come a long way just to die, Cath'la!" said Bane as he drew out his blasters and pointed them at her.

"Don't bother" said Cath'la. As she clicked her fingers, a group of nine Klatoonian guards arose from the trapdoor and surrounded them.

"You certainly picked up some friends while you were here" said Han.

"Forcing rebel scum into your own problems; I didn't expect any less from you, Bane" said Cath'la.

"You're one to talk" said Bane "I trust that Rotta is in on this"

"They're merely here to make this much quicker and easier" said Cath'la "The truth is; I could kill every last one of you if I wanted to, and I am very willing to do that. However; I am a busy woman and it would be better to get this over and done with quickly, no matter how much I would want to savor it"

"Too bad it's not going to happen at all!" said Bane. As he was about to pull the trigger of his blasters, Cath'la struck forward, grabbed him by the wrists, and struck them up in the air, causing him to shoot at the roof. She then grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up, squeezing his neck so tight that he dropped his blasters. At that moment, Han, Leia, Corea, Chewbacca, Zuckuss, and 4-LOM pointed their blasters towards her.

"Okay, easy there!" said Han "Put the bounty hunter down!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" said Cath'la. The Klatoonian guards raised their blasters and pointed them over to the six of them. "I've only come for the bounty hunter, so do both of us a favor and stay out of it. Interfere in any way and you'll all die"

"So…I'm guessing your "Master" finally got sick of me" said Bane.

"He has nothing to do with this" said Cath'la "This is between the two of us" As she spoke, Shifty snuck off and hid behind a crate.

"I thought you were his servant or something" said Bane.

"I may carry out his work but I ultimately act on my own" said Cath'la. As she spoke those words, Leia's eyes widened in curiosity.

"So I'm guessing this is about what happened back at the prison" said Bane.

"You humiliated me and messed up the Master's plan" said Cath'la as she began to squeeze tighter "The Hutt was supposed to be an ally for the Master but he went off on his own and got himself killed all because of your meddling! My failure is all on your hand; but I intend to rectify it right here, right now" She formed a small dagger from green mist and raised it towards Bane.

"Put the dagger down!" said Leia.

"I told you to stay out of it!" said Cath'la "I don't know how you managed to convince them to side with you, but I do not care. What matters is that I have you right here in my grasp…" She slowly raised her dagger up towards Bane's face, who didn't flinch or show any sign of fear at all. "I did say I would destroy you for this!" Within that moment, it seemed as though everything became incredibly tense. Cath'la held her dagger at Bane's face, Bane merely glared at her without showing fear, Han and the others held their blasters at her with a mixture of anxiety and intenseness at what the outcome was going to be, and C-3PO stood in silent fright as he watched on at everything that was happening. For all those participating in the tense standoff, it seemed as though the moment was going to go on forever and yet the end felt so near. However; as Cath'la readied herself to finish off Bane, the voice of the Master called out to her.

" _Cath'la, stop now; leave the bounty hunter alone"_

"But Master, he is the reason the plan failed!" snarled Cath'la "I have to make him pay for this!"

"Is she…talking to herself?" said Corea.

" _I know what he did, but I also know when not to discard a potentially useful piece"_

"Useful?!" snarled Cath'la "He betrayed us! He hijacked your plan for himself and cost us a potential ally! Do you know what he was going to do to me?"

" _If I wanted him dead, I would have told you myself. He still has usefulness for us; and as long as he does, he can live"_

"Fine!" snapped Cath'la. She took one last ice-cold stare at Bane before tossing him across the room with absolute malice. "Consider yourself lucky, bounty hunter; the Master still thinks there's some use for you" A small and subtle smirk appeared on Bane's face. "But mark my words, I'm only sparing you because the Master wishes me to; if there ever comes a time when he views you as more of a threat than an asset, I will not hesitate to kill you!"

"What are you doing?" said one of the Klatoonian guards "You had a deal with Lord Rotta!"

"Consider it revoked!" said Cath'la. She disappeared in a cloud of green mist. As the Klatoonian guards looked amongst each other, Zuckuss and 4-LOM pointed their blasters at them.

"What are you standing around for?" said Zuckuss "You heard her, there's no reason to stay here anymore. Go back to your master" The Klatoonian guards reluctantly went back down into the trapdoor and disappeared down it.

"Well, whaddya' know!" said Han "Despite everything we did, it was all for nothing!"

"It was a close call" said Leia as Bane got up and dusted himself off.

"Well; now that that's over and done with, we'd better get heading off" said Han "I mean, we're not in the mood to fight and I imagine you guys aren't either. So let's just call it quits and go our separate ways" He turned to leave the room.

"On the contrary…" said Bane as he lifted his blaster up and aimed it at the back of Han's head "This Nightsister has costed me a lot of time, most of which could have been spent collecting bounties. Fortunately, I have you to make up for it. Now; Jabba may be going easy on you for the time being, but the Empire would still pay a good price for someone like you. And that works enough for me"

"You know what…" said Han before spinning around and aiming his blaster at Bane's head "I've already been captured and tortured today, not in the mood for any more of it"

"Captain Solo, be careful!" said C-3PO "You could injure yourself further!"

"Geez; thanks a lot, 3PO" said Han.

"Well; from the sounds of it, you're not in the shape for another firefight" said Bane "May as well give up while you're still in one piece" Han sighed. "What's the matter, Solo? Upset that you're in a battle you can't win? Too bad"

"It's not that" said Han "I was just really looking forward to getting back at you for dropping me off that cliff. But…I guess it will have to wait. Chewie, now!" Chewbacca pulled out the smoke grenades and threw them at the three bounty hunters, filling the entire room with clouded smoke. "C'mon, guys; let's get going!" They all turned towards the entrance and rushed towards it.

"Wait for me!" exclaimed C-3PO.

"Oh, for pity's sake!" said Han "Chewie, grab 3PO and get him out of here!" Chewbacca growled in response. "Oh, and make sure he's not that droid bounty hunter" From the density of the smoke, Han could hear Chewbacca picking up something large and metallic.

"Oh!" exclaimed C-3PO's voice "Put me down, Chewbacca!"

"Yep, that's the one" said Han. By the time the five of them reached the entrance, the smoke was already clearing up and the silhouettes of the three bounty hunters slowly became visible. Han looked down at Chewbacca's satchel before turning towards Leia and Corea. "You two, go on ahead; Chewie and I will take care of the bounty hunters. And before you ask; yes, we intend to be quick about it" Leia and Corea nodded before rushing off out of sight. "You got the special one I asked you to bring?" Chewbacca nodded before pulling a detpack out of his satchel. "Perfect! Knew this would come in handy" As Han planted the detpack into the floor around the entrance; Bane appeared from the smoke and aimed his blaster at them.

"Not so fast!" said Bane.

"Too bad, I like playing fast" said Han. As he and Chewbacca rushed back to a safe distance, he aimed his blaster at the detpack and shot at it. But at the precise moment he pulled the trigger, Bane did the same towards him. As the two blaster bolts rushed towards their respective targets at an alarming rate, Han could only look on in horror for a brief moment as Bane's blaster hurried towards his chest. Suddenly, Chewbacca grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back. This caused the blaster bolt to only hit Han on the hip instead. He then pulled Han up onto his shoulder and rushed off with both him and C-3PO as the detpack went off with a loud bang. Han looked on and smirked as Shifty's hideout partially caved in from the explosion. "Bye bye, blue boy!"

 _Meanwhile_

The interior of Shifty's hideout lay in ruins. Fortunately, the explosives in his armory were out of reach of the explosion's impact so they hadn't gone off; but everything else was either crushed or scattered across the room. From behind the safety of the crate he hid behind, Shifty poked his head out and looked around before breathing a sigh of relief. Suddenly, he felt a hand grab him by the collar and pull him forward where he found himself face-to-face with Cad Bane.

"B-Bane!" exclaimed Shifty "I-I didn't know you survived the—"

"I'm not stupid, Shifty" said Bane "I know when to back away from a detpack"

"Good!" said Shifty "Well; now that that "Nightsister" is gone, I suppose you should be on your way"

"Oh, I intend to" said Bane "But first, I've got business to deal with you" He activated his jet boots and shot up to the opened roof, holding Shifty the whole time who was screaming.

"What is this about!?" exclaimed Shifty.

"I'm going to make this quick because I've got business to adjourn to on Tatooine" replied Bane "It's awfully convenient that Rotta's men knew about that secret entrance; the one you informed me was used only for special occasions, the one you made sure would be secure and out of sight of any unwanted guests, the one that alluded the Hutts for all these years"

"What are you implying with this?" asked Shifty "You're not trying to say that I—"

"I know it was you, Shifty" replied Bane "You sold us out, despite how much I had to pay to stay here"

"Nonesense!" said Shifty.

"Don't lie anymore" said Bane "You're only making it worse for yourself. So how much did he offer you?" Shifty didn't reply. "So what did he offer you? Your life?"

"He…You don't understand!" exclaimed Shifty "I had to! His thugs came up to me in the street one day; they were apparently gathering up rumors that I was sheltering you…"

"And they threatened your life" said Bane.

"Not before torturing me" said Shifty "Eventually the location of the secret passageway slipped my lips and so they let me live…Please, you must understand that I had no choice!"

"The cowardly worm sells me out; yeah, I understand" said Bane "Todo, prepare my ship for departure for Tatooine"

"Yes sir, Mr. Bane" replied Todo 360 through Bane's comlink.

"You are lucky I've got better things to do right now than waste my time with killing you" said Bane. Shifty breathed a sigh of relief before Bane grabbed him by the wrist and held his hand up. "But before I go, I'm going to leave you something. A little message to remind you never to stab me in the back again" He pulled a toothpick from his mouth and positioned it above Shifty's palm. The frightened Balosar sweated vigorously and trembled.

"There's no reason to do this!" begged Shifty.

"I know" said Bane "But I like to leave my mark on those who cross me" He struck his toothpick forward and Shifty's screaming was so loud that it extended and echoed all the way across Nar Shaddaa.

 **Author's note** : Just to let everyone know, I intend the next chapter to be the last before going on mid-season break. The reason for this is because I planned to have a time-skip between Chapter 9 and Chapter 10 and transition into the next year of the war. Once again, I'm sorry about making you all wait for chapters to come out and for going on mid-season break early; I just had no idea how tense my life would turn this year so I felt I needed time to refresh myself. Anyways, see you all next chapter!

 **CT767Rules** : Yeah, things are really heating up with Vader returning to the frontlines and Death Watch coming back. Don't worry, Rex will turn up in the series eventually and he won't be shoehorned in so he'll have a focus.

 **Martin** : I'll do what I can to have Luke learn about his mother but I'll make sure he doesn't learn enough to realize who she is completely or to form a memory of her so it doesn't contradict his line in Episode VI.


	9. The Terror of Tatooine

**Author's note** : Well; it took a long time, but I finally got it out. I'm really sorry that the updates this year have been very slow and I feel bad that the best I could do was half a season; but things have been really difficult for me this year and I've been quite busy on other things, so finding creativity and inspiration became harder and I felt more tired which made writing difficult for me. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy what is the last chapter for now and thank all of you for the support.

 **The Terror of Tatooine**

 _As the clock for Mon Mothma and Borsk Fey'lya's debut speeches ticks awfully close to the finish, Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano have been sent on a special mission to Skywalker's homeworld of Tatooine! Ever since an attempt initiated by Darth Vader and the Emperor to sway the Hutt Clan to the Empire's side failed many months ago, there has no aggressive or suspicious Imperial activity on the planet since._

 _However, with recent rumors of stormtrooper sightings in the Dune Sea, Mon Mothma felt it was necessary to investigate further! After having a training-filled flight over to the twin sunned desert, the two Jedi-in-training landed in the spaceport of Mos Eisley and are now desperately searching for any leads on these mysterious rumors…_

 _Tatooine_

The streets of Mos Eisley were filled with a wide variety of species and droids as they bustled about in their day-to-day lives; unnoticing to the cloaked figure that walked amongst them, followed closely behind by R2-D2. The cloaked figure approached a Xexto merchant who was handed bags of fruit and spices off to a family of Aleenas.

"Here you go" said the Xexto merchant "And remember to use those ingredients before they go bad" As the Aleenas waved goodbye and headed off, the cloaked figure and R2 moved over to his stand. "Can I help you?"

"I'm here about the rumors of stormtroopers" replied the cloaked figure "Do you know anything about it?"

"Nothing beyond the basics" replied the Xexto merchant "Some people claim that they've seen stormtroopers out on the Dune Sea, other people deny it. Sorry I couldn't be any more help"

"That's okay" said the cloaked figure.

"I wish I could be more help on the matter since exchanging information is a specialty of mine" said the Xexto merchant "Unfortunately, this whole galaxy-wide war isn't really my expertise. I mean…I think the Hutts have made this planet a middle-ground in the war to avoid conflict from either side, but I don't know for certain. The war doesn't really reach out here, except perhaps for that incident about a year ago with that Corellian corvette and a star destroyer"

"Thanks anyway" said the cloaked figure. The cloaked figure and R2 moved off into an alleyway where the figure removed their hood and was revealed to be Ahsoka. "Well; that marks fourteen people we've asked, as well as the sixth one who didn't try to buy you" R2 beeped in response. "Huh…" She turned her head over to a group of Jawas who were chatting amongst themselves in Jawaese. "Yeah, those Jawas would probably know something. But, since I can't understand them properly, we'd be getting nowhere. If only we brought 3PO along…though I suppose Luke would have better luck with them. Speaking of which, it's almost time for our meet up; I'd better head off to the cantina. C'mon, Artooie" R2 beeped and followed her as she walked off.

 _Meanwhile_

Luke stood at the counter in a junk shop wearing a similar cloak to what Ahsoka was wearing except with the hood down. As he watched various pit droids carry various equipment and other objects around the shop, he noticed a power converter sitting on the bench next to him. He picked it up and examined it carefully.

"Sorry; can't help you, I'm afraid" said Watto as he flew out from the room behind the counter "I record every intel I get from customers and passersby in case it may come in useful, but none of them have anything confirming the stormtroopers in the Dune Sea…" As he let out a spluttering cough, Luke placed the power converter back on the counter. "The best I can find is just the rumors themselves about those stormtroopers, but it's nothing specific so I'm afraid it can't help you that much"

"That's alright, I just wanted to check everywhere first before coming to conclusions" said Luke "Thanks for your help anyway" Watto scratched his bearded chin.

"You know, I never did thank you for helping me get the money to buy my new shop" said Watto "I should…well, repay you for that"

"Oh; no, no, there's no need to—" said Luke as Watto pulled up a box filled with various objects and began searching through it vigorously.

"Ah-ha!" said Watto. He pulled out a block of wood and handed it to Luke.

"What's this?" asked Luke.

"Japor ivory wood" replied Watto "Little Annie used to make carvings out of this. I figured it would be an appropriate gift for you"

"Well, thank you" said Luke as he picked up the block of wood and started walking out of the shop "Oh; by the way, that power converter on your counter is fried"

"Eh?" said Watto.

"It isn't all that visible on the outside, but it's definitely short circuited and is useless now" said Luke as he exited the shop.

 _A few minutes later_

Luke stepped through the doorway into Mos Eisley cantina where Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes were playing their regular song. As he looked amongst the various individuals of varying species who were preoccupied with their own activities in the establishment, he finally spotted Ahsoka sitting on a stool at the bar. He then rushed over to her and sat on the stool next to her.

"So how'd it go, Skyguy?" asked Ahsoka.

"No luck, I'm afraid" replied Luke "I even checked with Watto, no one I met gave me confirmation about the stormtrooper sightings"

"Same here" said Ahsoka "I thought of asking the Jawas; but I can't understand them, it's honestly just gibberish to me. I thought of asking you about it"

"I asked a few Jawas, but I got nothing from them" said Luke "And some of them were working out on the Dune Sea this morning before dawn" It was at that moment that Luke heard some beeping and realized that R2 was under the bench they were sitting at. "Huh, what's he doing here?"

"Well, he followed me in here" said Ahsoka "Which is the usual way"

"But…there's a no droid's policy" said Luke.

"Really?" said Ahsoka "Because we just walked through without anyone complaining"

"But…the droid sensor…" said Luke. He spun around to view the doorway and noticed that the droid detector was missing. "Where is it?" It was at that moment that Wuher walked up to the bar's counter with a pair of drinks.

"No droids policy has been lifted" said Wuher "Because of this, I saw no point in that droid detector so I sold it" He placed the drinks down on the bench in front of them. "Anyways; here's the drinks you ordered, ma'am"

"Thanks" said Ahsoka as she grabbed one of the drinks. Wuher began looking at Luke with suspicion.

"You know what; I feel like I've seen you before, boy" said Wuher.

"Really?" said Luke "I guess I just have one of those faces"

"Well, don't be causing any trouble" said Wuher "I like to keep this place tame. Plus we only just scraped out the last corpse from last night so I would appreciate today to be quieter" He walked off to attend another side of the bar. As Luke picked up his drink, Ahsoka looked down at the drink in her hand.

"Well, I'm guess I'm of age now" said Ahsoka.

"Huh?" asked Luke.

"For drinking" said Ahsoka "Anakin and I attended many cantinas during the war, but he was very strict about me drinking alcoholic beverages on account of me being a teenager and all at the time. Now I'm twenty" She raised her glass. "So how about it, partner; to drinks and the still undecided fate of our mission" The two of them clinked their glasses together before drinking them down. As the two of them sipped down their drinks, they didn't notice that Bib Fortuna sat at a booth nearby them. As he sipped his drink; he caught sight of them, placed his drink down on the table, and grinned. He then stood up and walked over to the bar.

"Well, well; fancy seeing you pair of rebel operatives here again" said Fortuna.

"Huh?" said Ahsoka as she and Luke spun around to face Fortuna.

"Excuse me, what do you—" said Luke before recognizing the Twi'lek before "Wait; I've seen you before, you're Jabba the Hutt's majordomo!"

"Bib Fortuna; at your service, rebel" said Fortuna as he bowed before them in an almost mocking fashion.

"I didn't know you could speak Basic" said Ahsoka.

"As a figure in Jabba's criminal empire who handles with various influences, it is standard for me to know a variety of mainstream languages" said Fortuna "Jabba merely prefers me to stick with Huttese while in the premises of his palace or while accompanying him out in the open"

"What are you doing here?" asked Ahsoka.

"I was just passing by this spaceport when I decided to get a drink" replied Fortuna "Traversing through the desert can make one parched. I wasn't expecting to come into contact with a pair of familiar faces"

"So, I'm guessing this is more than a simple hello" said Luke "There's something you want from us, isn't there?"

"Merely your services, if you would be so kind as to supplement them" replied Fortuna "Jabba has given me an important task to deal with a situation that could potentially threaten his presence on Tatooine, and I merely thought you two rebel heroes would be kind enough to lend your services"

"I'm afraid we're passing through as well" said Luke as he stood up from the bar "You see, the Alliance sent us here to check something out. But since we've found nothing, we're going to head off. C'mon Ahsoka, c'mon R2; I think we've spent enough time here" The three of them made their way to the exit.

"You look like you're in such a rush" said Fortuna "I wonder if you'd relax better if I mentioned that Jabba suspects his problem might have something to do with these  
"stormtrooper sightings"" As Luke, Ahsoka, and R2 stopped dead in their tracks, Fortuna smiled wickedly. "I knew that would get your attention!"

 _A few minutes later_

Fortuna sped across the sands dunes of the Tatooine desert in a modified XP-38 sport landspeeder that was colored sandy-yellow with light brown outlines with Luke, Ahsoka, and R2 in the backseat. As they raced through the sandy environment, they frightened away a group of scurriers who had flocked around a dune.

"The XP-38" said Luke as he looked over the landspeeder they were in "I always wanted one of these, but my uncle told me to be happy with the landspeeder I had"

"As Jabba's majordomo, getting to places across Tatooine is a valuable asset to have" said Fortuna "Jabba was able to acquire a high quality landspeeder model for me to use and was able to have modifications added that I saw fit"

"Okay; so now that we're on the move and away from any untrustworthy ears, what does Jabba know about the stormtrooper sightings?" asked Ahsoka.

"Let me explain" replied Fortuna "Jabba has seen many rivals over the years, crime lords trying to gain better control of Tatooine over him. Currently, his greatest competitor is Lady Valarian who is stationed within Tatooine. The two of them have been having at it for ages and constantly trying to gain advantage over one another"

"And what does this have to do with the Empire?" asked Luke.

"Since a lot of his entourage are well known across Tatooine, Jabba has been hiring spies to infiltrate Valarian's hideout to keep a close eye on her" replied Fortuna "And yesterday, one of them made a shocking discovery; they caught sight of Valarian speaking with an Imperial officer. With the rumored sightings of stormtroopers across the Dune Sea, this was enough to suspect that the two of them are up to something"

"So this Lady Valarian is in cahoots with the Empire?" said Ahsoka.

"She's hardly the first bounty hunter who has" said Luke "So what's Jabba going to do about it?"

"If Jabba had his way, he would have that bloated Whiphid strangled to death before being chucked into the nearest sarlacc pit" replied Fortuna "But she spends most of her time in her hideout which makes her well protected by her followers, some of whom are other Whiphids; and if taking Valarian down means enraging the Empire, he's hesitant on making the next move"

"Worried about good relations, I guess" said Luke.

"Exactly" said Fortuna "As a middle part of this war, you don't want to show favoritism to one side nor do you want to show disdain; especially when you're dealing with top dogs like the Empire" Within the next few seconds, they reached the foothills of Jabba's Palace. "Well, looks like we're here" They stopped outside the entrance of the palace, scaring away a group of nunas who were frolicking around the door.

"Man, to think it was only a few months ago that we were being brought through these doors against our free will" smirked Ahsoka.

"We're about to enter Jabba's Palace" said Fortuna "From this point I will try to speak in Huttese as much as possible, especially around my master and his followers. Because of this, I'll get some basic rules out of the way first: you are honored to the Mighty Jabba so remember to respect him at all times. Do not speak to him unless spoken to and remember to avoid any ill-mannered behavior that may offend him. Don't stare with repulse or make a remark about his appearance; he'll most likely have you skinned for that"

"We've met Jabba before so we should be fine with it" said Ahsoka.

"And I trust you will" said Fortuna "And remember, let me handle the business" He walked over to the enormous door and knocked on it. At that moment, a gatekeeper droid popped out its sensor out.

"Tee chuta hhat yudd!" said the gatekeeper droid.

"I am Bib Fortuna, majordomo of the great Jabba the Hutt, and I have returned from an assignment" said Fortuna in Huttese "I wish to enter the palace to speak with Jabba about pressing matters" The gatekeeper droid turned its sensor towards Luke and Ahsoka and said something in Huttese. "These are my guests who I will accompany me inside" The gatekeeper droid said something else in Huttese. "They are bounty hunters who wish to be of service to Jabba" The gatekeeper droid said something in Huttese before bursting out in laughter and retracting back into the door.

"What did it say?" asked Luke "Are they going to let us in?"

"Just wait a moment" replied Fortuna in Basic again. At that moment, the door in front of them slowly began to arise. "Follow me, and remember to stay close" As the three of them began walking through the entrance, R2 started following them. "It would be for the best if the droid stays behind"

"But we can't just leave him here" said Ahsoka "What about Jawas?"

"He'll be fine" said Fortuna "Jabba had some incidents not long ago where Jawas stole equipment that was being transported to his palace so he made it a rule to prohibit it. No Jawas are allowed to take technology from a hundred mile radius of his palace; the punishment, of which, is pain of death"

"Do you really think they'll uphold it?" asked Luke.

"They will" replied Fortuna "Jabba had to kill a few of them to make a point, but we got there in the end" A subtle look of shock befell on Luke and Ahsoka's faces. "What? We've all had the urge" As they walked along the dark hallways as the entrance began closing slowly, there was the sound of a loud crack. Ahsoka looked down at her feet and saw that she had stepped in a slug-beetle.

"Gross!" said Ahsoka as she wiped her now messy boot on the sand on the floor.

"Mind your step" said Fortuna "All kinds of creepy crawlies make their home in this palace"

"You really have one for the thematic, don't you?" said Ahsoka. As she was about to step forward, Luke grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. "What is it now?"

"You…may want to let that past first" said Luke. At that moment, a pair of four mechanical black legs attached to what appeared to be a jar trotted past them.

"Yeah, good point" said Ahsoka. As the two of them looked down at the spider-like creature that crawled in front of them, they took a close look at what lay in the jar that the legs carried. To their shock, it appeared to be a brain. "Is that a…a brain?"

"Sure looks like it" said Luke.

"Don't mind the B'omarr Monks" said Fortuna "You don't bother them, they don't bother you"

"B'omarr Monks?" said Ahsoka.

"They're the original owners of the palace" said Fortuna "They're an elusive religious order that inhabits the Mid and Outer Rim. They came to Tatooine hundreds of years ago and began building monasteries here. When Jabba moved to Tatooine, this monastery took his interest so he came to an agreement with the monks; he would let them continue to reside in the palace and practice their beliefs and in return they would let him use major portions of the palace for as a base of operations"

"So what's with the jars?" asked Luke.

"It's part of their beliefs" replied Fortuna "Once they've reached the greatest state of enlightenment, they have their brains surgically removed and placed within jars"

"And why's that?" asked Luke.

"Something about no longer being distracted by physical activities and focusing on their mental and spiritual aspects, I think" replied Fortuna "I know they're frightening to look at, but they're generally harmless unless provoked and keep to themselves mostly" It was at that moment that the three of them bumped into a pair of Gamorrean guards who crossed their vibro-axes in front of them. Fortuna gestured for Luke and Ahsoka to stay put as he walked over towards the guards and began talking to them in Huttese. The Gamorreans grunted and looked at each other before parting off and allowing the three of them to pass.

"Well, I guess we're going in again" said Ahsoka.

"At least this time it's as "honored guests"" smirked Luke. Ahsoka smirked back.

"Getting a bit cocky, huh?" said Ahsoka "It's best to save that until after we're done here"

"Good plan" said Luke "Let's stick to it" Fortuna brought them down to the entrance to Jabba's main audience chamber where they were greeted by the barking of Bubo, Jabba's frog-dog. As they started walking down the steps, they found their path blocked as Ephant Mon stepped forward and stood in their way.

"Fortuna, I see you brought some guests with you" said Ephant Mon.

"They have agreed to help Jabba with his rivalry problems" said Fortuna in Huttese.

"I see" said Ephant Mon "And if I'm not mistaken, these two have helped the Exalted One out before…not to mention they helped take out that Zygerrian madman who tried to rival the Hutt Cartel. You two are certainly _above average_ individuals, if I'm not mistaken. Although I suggest you two keep your specialties quiet from most, otherwise it could mean trouble" He gave them a subtle half-wink before moving off again, which caused both Luke and Ahsoka to gulp simultaneously.

"Boska!" said Fortuna as he waved his hand for Luke and Ahsoka to follow him down the steps further. He walked up to Jabba and began speaking with the Hutt in Huttese. While the two of them talked things over, Luke and Ahsoka took a look around at the various guests and members of the Hutt's entourage as they went about their own business. At the corner of the room, Embo played darts against a pair of Rodians who sighed in frustration as he beat their high score by a long shot. Underneath the table they were keeping their drinks on, Embo's anoobas lifted their heads up and snarled at the pair of Jedi.

"Oi!" snapped Embo whilst clicking at them to stop. The two Jedi then looked over towards another corner to see a Barabel and a Zygerrian arm-wrestling on a nearby table with the Barabel winning easily. The two of them then looked down onto the grate below their feet and what appeared to be a trapdoor that stood in front of Jabba's pedestal, which caused them to start thinking about all the possible horrors that may lie beneath the room. The surrounding environment overall made them feel uncomfortable, but they knew they could not say anything. As Fortuna and Jabba stopped talking, Jabba bellowed out something in Huttese.

"The mighty Jabba requests that the audience chamber should be cleared at once" said KT-123. Everyone in the room reluctantly dropped what they were doing and began making their way out of the room. For a brief moment, a Gran thug brushed past Luke and Ahsoka.

"Watch it!" snapped the Gran. When the room was finally emptied of them, Fortuna gestured towards Luke and Ahsoka, indicating that they needed to move closer. The two Jedi slowly walked up towards Jabba.

"So, two members of the Rebel Alliance once more stand before me" said Jabba in Huttese "Although you're more than bantha fodder this time, at least!" He bellowed out a loud laugh which was followed by Salacious Crumb. "Welcome back to my palace! I trust Bib has been most hospitable" He chuckled to himself. "Now let us get down to business. I trust Bib has informed you of the details"

"He has, exalted one" said Luke "We know of your plight; and since we have a common foe, we're willing to help you" Jabba chuckled evilly.

"Excellent!" said Jabba with a chuckle "Now onto business…" He grabbed a small gorg out of his snack bowl and dangled it above his gaping mouth in a taunting manner. The gorg desperately tried to wriggle free to escape the horrible fate that it knew awaited it; but just as it was about to squeeze out of Jabba's grip, the Hutt dropped it down into his mouth and swallowed it whole. "…Lady Valarian has been a thorn in my side ever since she arrived on Tatooine. Rivals are like Kreetles; no matter how many you squash, there's always another waiting to come out and take its place. After a while, it seems merely futile and you'll just want to give up; but if you do, they'll use the opportunity to swarm all over you. Valarian is hardly my first rival and she won't be the last, but I don't intend go easy on her for that fact. I intend to make an example of her, but I have to weaken her first. As you may know, I've been hiring spies to infiltrate her hideout and they've been watching over her carefully. They've been able to get up close to her on several occasions, clear enough perhaps for a shooting; but do you know why I haven't given out the order to end her yet?"

"Why?" asked Luke.

"It would be a foolish move that would only result in a full-out gang war" replied Jabba "Her hideout is full of her followers; make one misstep and you'll find yourself outmanned and outgunned at incredible odds. If one of my spies ended up captured in the enduring chaos, they could trace them back to me and I would lose ground. I'm not above spilling blood and I'm certainly not above conflict, but I would prefer it when I have the better chance of winning. That's why I require a third party to do it for me. If you can sever her ties to the Empire on this planet, it will impair her operations and will damage the Empire without them or Valarian knowing of my involvement" He laughed evilly. "So we both win. And don't worry, I won't force you to do anything "too" sketchy…" He chuckled. "…unless you want to, of course!" He and Salacious Crumb laughed evilly in unison.

"So do you have a plan?" asked Luke.

"I can provide you with bounty hunter attire to enter her hideout undetected" replied Jabba "She has a personal bounty office in her establishment with extremely high stakes bounties, ones only the best of the best would ever take, so you won't be appear to be out of place. This should be enough to get close to her and her gang and lead you to the Empire"

"And where does the plan go from there?" asked Ahsoka. A slimy and vile grinned stretched across Jabba's cheeks and he chuckled again.

"You two are experienced rebel operatives" said Jabba "You tell me. I'm sure you can come up with a plan from there" He laughed again with Salacious Crumb following suit. Within the shadows of an unobserved portion of the chamber, a Mark IV recon droid watched the group carefully and in complete silence.

 _Later_

Luke and Ahsoka stood in the streets of Mos Eisley dressed in bounty hunter attire. Luke wore sandy brown Mandalorian battle armor with a rotary cannon strapped to his back and a scrappy beige cape beneath it. Ahsoka wore green battle armor with a sniper rifle attached to her back across them in the street was Lady Valarian's hideout—the _Lucky Despot_. It was a large cargo ship of unspecified designed that appeared to have been modified as an establishment. It appeared to have been colored white and red but the desert sandstorms had dulled it down.

"The _Lucky Despot_ " said Luke "This is the place, Lady Valarian's HQ"

"And we're just going to walk in through the front doors" said Ahsoka "No sneaking in, no breaking in. Personally, I'd feel more comfortable if I had my lightsaber with me"

"I would too, but we can't risk them getting spotted by Valarian's goons" said Luke "They're safe with R2, we'll just have to do without them for the time being" Ahsoka turned her head around to look at her sniper rifle.

"If only I took those blaster practice lessons that Rex offered me" said Ahsoka under her breath.

"Hmm?" said Luke.

"Oh, it's nothing" said Ahsoka "Just getting over the calm before the storm"

"My Uncle Owen always used to tell me to stay away from places like this" said Luke "R2's with the ship, we've got the disguises…" He placed his helmet on over his face. "…now let's get started" The two of them began slowly moving over towards the _Lucky Despot_. As they walked up the ramp and approached the entrance, a pair of Lady Valarian's thugs raised their blasters towards the two of them. The thugs were dressed from head to toe with carchi green outfits with cerulean body armor and pointed masks that had dark slit visors. Because of this, it was hard to tell what species they were but they were clearly humanoid.

"Hold it right there!" said one of the thugs.

"I don't mean to state the obvious, but isn't this establishment supposed to be open to the public?!" asked Luke who was trying hard to sound tough and intimidating.

"It was, until Lady Valarian eventually decided otherwise" said the other thug "Authorized personnel only now! And if you have a problem with it, tough; it ain't changing anytime soon!"

"And why exactly would she change the system like that?" asked Ahsoka "Surely more patrons would make things better for business"

"What business is it of yours?!" snarled the first thug "The point is that only certain individuals are allowed in now. So back off now or we'll use deadly force; and if you resist it, we'll inform Lady Valarian of this mark of disrespect personally!"

"Settle down!" said another thug as he walked up to them from the entrance "What's the problem?"

"These two are trying to force their way inside despite our clear instructions not to" said the second thug "This place ain't open to the public anymore, go somewhere else before we tire of you standing there!" The third thug walked up to Luke and Ahsoka and looked over them.

"You two are bounty hunters, right?" asked the third thug.

"Yeah" replied Luke "Took you long enough to realize"

"In that case, you are free to come inside" said the third thug.

"What!?" snapped the first thug "Are you seriously kidding me?!"

"Yeah, we were specifically instructed to keep out "everyone" who doesn't have authorized access!" snapped the second thug.

"Lady Valerian has recently made an exception for bounty hunters" said the third thug "Hired help is always appreciated, especially when it comes to bounties; and we have a lot of them up for grabs"

"Finally, something coming our way" said Luke.

"Feel free to step on in and make your way over to the bounty, where all manner of jobs await for you" said the third thug "But I'll give you this warning: you're lucky we're allowing you in, but the attitude you displayed at the door remain there. Lady Valarian is very particular when it comes to personalities; show any disrespect whilst in her establishment, and she'll likely kill you on the spot"

"We'll remember that" said Ahsoka "After all, you can't make good money if you're dead"

"My thoughts exactly" said the third thug. Luke and Ahsoka stepped forth through the entrance.

"I don't get it" said the second thug "When did this new "bounty hunter" rule come in? We weren't informed of it!"

"Maybe because it only came in about an hour go" said the third thug.

"Huh?" said the first thug "What are you talking about?"

"Just something that's none of your concern" said the third thug as he reached for his comm-device "Lady Valarian, the two operatives have entered the establishment. One of them was fully armored, but the other was clearly a Togruta woman so it's a high chance it's them"

"You've done well" said a deep female voice through the comm-device "Keep a lookout for any other suspicious activity. We'll handle it from here"

 _Meanwhile_

Luke and Ahsoka made their way to the center of the casino section of the establishment where they sat down at the bar and looked around at their surroundings. The casino seemed to have built to accommodate countless patrons and yet it seemed to be empty. Only small groups of people gathered around each table and gambling machines and you could tell from their attire that they were richer individuals who had exclusive access.

"Not a lot of people around" said Ahsoka quietly.

"Clearly she's taking precautions in case of spies" said Luke quietly "Luckily she's still taking bounty hunters, which is good news for us"

"So where do you think she is at the moment?" asked Ahsoka.

"We know she's a Whiphid, so that's a starter" said Luke.

"Most Whiphids look alike, even the women" said Ahsoka quietly "The only one I can tell apart is Master K'Kruhk. She has other Whiphid working for her, so we might talk to the wrong one by mistake"

"Then I guess we'll just have to find the bounty office and make our way over to it" said Luke quietly "If we're bounty hunters, we should at least stay where any bounty hunter would go"

"Good idea, let's do it" said Ahsoka quietly. They turned towards the Snivvian bartender who was polishing a glass with a washcloth.

"Excuse me" said Luke while still putting on a tough demeanor. The Snivvian raised his head in response.

"Greetings" said the Snivvian "What may I get for you two?"

"We're new here and we're looking for the bounty office" replied Luke "You wouldn't happen to know where it is exactly?"

"Oh, it's just over there" said the Snivvian bartender as he pointed to their left. In the corner of the casino lay an office counter with an EV-series supervisor droid sitting at it. Holographic posters of various wanted criminals lay around the wall outside it but there didn't appear to be many bounty hunters surrounding it. "I should warn you though; only the best of the best take up jobs here, and Lady Valarian takes failure very harshly"

"We'll keep that in mind" said Luke. He and Ahsoka moved off over towards the bounty office.

"Welcome to the bounty office" said the supervisor droid "I trust you two are well-skilled bounty hunters looking for a challenge"

"That we are" said Luke.

"You had better be good" said the supervisor droid "Only bounty hunters of the highest caliber take these jobs; Lady Valarian has very high standards"

"We've heard all about that" said Luke "Speaking of which, you wouldn't happen to know where she is at the moment?"

"Why would ask a question like that?" asked the supervisor droid.

"Let's just say we're interested in more than a single job here" replied Luke "Any chance we can discuss long term business here with her personally?"

"I'm afraid that Lady Valarian rarely makes agreements with bounty hunters in person" said the supervisor droid "In fact; she has been very private recently and hasn't attended the casino herself at all this week"

"And why would that be?" asked Ahsoka.

"She never said anything about it" said the supervisor droid "I'm programmed merely to account the bounties; so unless you wish to take up a job right now, I'm afraid you'll have to move off"

"I hear you two are looking for "special" bounties" said a voice. The voice took Luke and Ahsoka by surprise and they turned around in response to it. Standing before them was a female Whiphid with a cyan top and bracelet on her left wrist. "I assume from your armor that you are Mandalorian or at least well familiar with them. And I can see from your appearance that you're a Togruta; never took them for bounty hunters, but I suppose there are always exceptions"

"Lady Valarian, it is truly a honor to meet you at last" said Luke "We have heard much of your reputation"

"And I trust that it proceeds me" said Valarian "So, I overheard that you two bounty hunters are interested in long term work for me"

"That is correct" said Ahsoka.

"Well, it just so happens that I have an opening…if you are up to it" said Valarian.

"Anything, just as long as we get paid well" said Luke.

"I think you'll find that this job pays very well" said Valarian "Come with me, I'll take you to the back so we can discuss it further" Luke and Ahsoka tried to mask their shock at what had just happened. The opportunity that had just presented itself felt awfully convenient and sudden, which made them both feel cautious and unsure of how to proceed; however, they had gotten this far and there was no way they could just back out now. Still unsure of this turn of events, the two of them followed Valarian as she brought them to the side of the room. A security door stood before them that appeared to be closed to the patrons. Valarian typed a classified key code onto a panel on the side of the door which opened it. "This way" Luke and Ahsoka followed her through the dimly lit hallway that preceded them. Feeling as though he should continue playing along with the role of a bounty hunter to diminish any possible suspicion, Luke decided to ask question without seeming _too_ suspicious.

"So, where are you taking us now?" asked Luke.

"To the storage room, where we will discuss things" replied Valarian.

"Can you at least give us a rundown of the job you want us to do?" asked Ahsoka, catching on to what Luke was doing.

"As you may know, I have a good share of the good things on this planet" said Valarian "Gambling, extortion, contraband; anything and everything anyone could want to gain a position of power. Unfortunately, I am not without competitors. One in particular has been particularly troublesome; you may have heard of him, in fact…Jabba the Hutt" The interest and curiosity in Luke and Ahsoka's eyes sparked but they tried to remain composed. "Many call me mad for challenging him; he's been here longer than anyone and has scared off or destroyed every other opponent who has come his way, not to mention his place in the Hutt Cartel secures a great deal of power and influence"

"So what do you want us to do about it?" asked Ahsoka as they got to the end of the hallway.

"I'll explain it just through here" said Valarian. As she opened up the door, a pitch black room awaited for them on the other side. As they hesitantly stepped through to the other side, they found themselves in pure darkness. But before they could even react, the lights flashed on suddenly and blinded them. As their eyes slowly readjusted to the light, they could just make out flickers of white and black. Once their eyes had fully recovered, they discovered that they were surrounded by sandtroopers. In the shock of the sight that befell them, they didn't notice that Valarian snuck behind them and onto the other side of the door. "Remember to stun them; I did promise your commander that they will be alive for interrogation, after all"

"Valarian, what is the meaning of this?!" snapped Luke.

"Let go of the act, I know you're rebel operatives who are working with Jabba to overthrow me" said Valarian "Well, here's your Empire; deal with them" She shut the door and disappeared.

"Hands up, rebel scum!" snapped a sandtrooper.

"We're hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned" said Ahsoka "And I wouldn't exactly call myself handy in a firefight"

"Well, we still have one thing they don't have" said Luke.

"Will it be enough?" asked Ahsoka.

"Let's find out!" said Luke. He and Ahsoka force-blasted at the sandtroopers surrounding them and blew them away.

"Jedi!" exclaimed a sandtrooper.

"Bring them down!" yelled out another sandtrooper. The sandtroopers began desperately shooting at Luke and Ahsoka with stun blasts, but the two Jedi desperately evaded the shots and began taking down each of the sandtroopers with hand-to-hand combat and kicks. This is where they would usually banter during battle; but given what was at stake and the lack of their lightsabers, they remained silent in order to avoid losing concentration. As they fought with the sandtroopers, a group of scout troopers the upper platforms of the storage room and watched them.

"They're distracted, time to pull it" said one of the scout troopers. Another one of the scout troopers nodded in response and proceeded to pull a nearby lever. Instantly, the floor of the storage room lit up with a powerful surge of electricity. Luke and Ahsoka were caught in it, as was the rest of the sandtroopers, and they all collapsed on the ground stunned. "Well, we've got them"

 _Later_

Luke slowly regained consciousness slowly and surely in a haze of various colors that whirled about in his vision. He saw sandy-yellow, brown, black, and surprisingly blue and red which contrasted with the previous dull colors. As the colors slowly began to make shapes, he heard a cold and almost mechanical voice speak out.

"Finally awake, I see" said the voice "I was starting to think you were comatose, and that's certainly not what the Empire would want" As his vision finally regained fully, he found himself face-to-face with Cad Bane.

"Bane…" breathed Luke.

"Long time, no see, Jedi" said Bane. Behind him stood 4-LOM and Zuckuss who had their weapons readied for anything unexpected. "When Valarian told the Empire that she had two rebel operatives in her clutches, you can imagine how intrigued they were at the possibilities. They only got more excited when I confirmed that you two were Jedi"

"Where's Ahsoka?" asked Luke.

"Your little Togruta friend is safe in another cell" replied Bane "Although I say "safe" meaning she's in a secure and well-watched location…who knows, maybe they're interrogating her at this moment…to think, she's suffering unimaginable pain and you can nothing…it really is pitiful" Luke struggled but found that he was being held in a containment field and could barely move. "You're only wasting your strength; when I revealed your identity to the Imperials, the first thing we did was make sure you were contained"

"Where are we, Bane?" asked Luke

"Don't worry, you're still on Tatooine" replied Bane "You're in Gardulla the Hutt's former palace which the Empire is currently using as a base. You've been unconscious for over a day now so you must have taken that shock very hard"

"So I'm guessing Valarian sent you" said Luke.

"No, she's too intense and micromanaging for my liking" said Bane "I'm with the Empire on this one. You two were very thoughtless; you walked straight into a trap and now you're stuck, but you ain't getting out this time. There's no Alliance to spring you and the Hutts won't risk moving against the Empire unless they have no other choice. This is what we adults call a "loose end""

"Then have at it" said Luke "Ask away the questions and be done with it, this banter is only wasting both our time"

"We're not gonna' bother get lip from you" said Bane "In about one hour, we're taking both you and the little lady to Coruscant where we'll hand you over to the Emperor himself" Luke bared his teeth in anger. "I should be thankful; the price for one Jedi is incomparable, two is even more so. It will more than make up for the time lost thanks to that Nightsister" He looked back at 4-LOM and Zuckuss. "Of course, it does mean I'll have to split the reward three ways, but it's a small price to pay"

"You won't—" said Luke.

"Get away with this?" said Bane "Face it, we already have and there's nothing you can do about it" He flicked his toothpick back into his mouth. "Now if you'll excuse me, we'd better prepare for departure" The three of them walked over to the door and opened it up. "We'll meet again soon, Jedi; I can guarantee you that" They then exited the cell and shut the door with great impact.

"We should take preparations just in case the worst scenario becomes real" said Zuckuss "Let me perform my rituals so the deities will look upon us fondly and protect us on our journey"

"We don't need your gods" said Bane "We have a straightforward path and easy prey in our grasp; all we need now is to execute it properly and avoid screwing everything up, and that reward is as good as ours. It's a pity, really; I would have liked a challenge beforehand to get a true sense of satisfaction"

 _Meanwhile on Corellia_

Crowds of rebels and Corellian citizens gathered around a large stand that stood out the front of Mon Mothma's building. Mon Mothma, Rahm Kota, and Admiral Ackbar sat on seats on the stand's right side while Borsk Fey'lya at on the left side with a small group of Bothans. At the front center of the stand stood a podium with a microphone on it and various cam droids buzzed about in the air ready to record the upcoming speeches and send them out via the HoloNet. As the crowds bustled about into place as the time for the speeches neared, Fey'lya looked over towards Mon Mothma and smiled at her viciously.

"Where is Princess Leia?" said Kota "She promised to be here by now"

"She's probably just busy with that mission on Nar Shaddaa" said Mon Mothma "I'm beginning to wonder whether we should have sent another group in as well to make things more efficient"

"Sorry I'm late" said Leia as she rushed up the stairs to the stand.

"How did the recovery mission on Nar Shaddaa go?" asked Ackbar.

"It was all a trap, I'm afraid" said Leia "Don't worry, we all made it out safely; I dropped Han off at the hospital while C-3PO is having a checkup on his systems and Corea and Chewie are having a rest"

"You made it just in time" said Mon Mothma "We're about to commence. Well, let's just hope all of this work pays off" She stood up and walked over to the podium. "Citizens of the Rebellion, citizens of Corellia; I bid you welcome. We are here today to offer the beginning speeches for the upcoming election between myself and Councilman Borsk Fey'lya of Kothlis. As you may know, this election will decide which one of the two of us will be named Chief-of-State of the Rebel Alliance; either I will stay in office or Fey'lya will replace me. I have been going along with all of this because I believe in choice and free will, but I feel that it's time I revealed my thoughts on the matter; I believe that this election is unnecessary at this time. This isn't a time for internal struggle; we're in the middle of a war and fighting against an enemy that outnumbers us greatly. If an election is to take place, it should take place once this conflict has ended or at least when it is no longer top priority. I know I've always looked to a brighter future, and the other founders and I made that our mission when we founded this Alliance; but we also need to focus on the here and now at the moment or else there may be no future. Thank you" She walked back to her seat as the crowd applauded moderately.

"Now, let's see what our competition has to say" said Kota. Fey'lya stood up and walked over to the podium.

"Very good" said Fey'lya whilst faux clapping "What we heard just then was the voice and words of a politician who loves her people. Mon Mothma is someone who loves her people; she represented her planet in the Galactic Senate, witnessed the rise of the Empire, was there at the founding of the Rebellion, and dutifully took on the position of Chief-of-State after Bail Organa's death" Leia's fist subtly curled up into a ball as the Bothan casually mentioned her father's death in a public speech. "Since the destruction of the Death Star, she has overseen much good; the Alliance is no longer an assorted group of freedom fighters who hit the Empire where possible and we now have a safe haven in the form of Corellia with numerous hidden bases to help secure and maintain a foothold across the galaxy. The accomplishments the Rebellion has made are all commendable and we have her to thank for that…despite this however, we have not been without very great faults that have cost us dearly and continue to do so. We may have extended our reach and gained more influence and resources, but the Empire still outnumbers us greatly. At the rate we're going; with every system we take, we lose three more. Not exactly what I call efficient in the long run of things" The crowds began to chat amongst each other conflictingly. "And whatever victories we have had, don't last long. We form an "Alliance to Restore the Republic", the Empire destroys Alderaan" Leia's glare at Fey'lya grew more hostile as she felt something boil up inside her. "We destroy the Death Star, the Empire bolsters its military and ups their game. We…capture the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army after he laid waste to Coronet City only for him to escape" Gasps and other shocked reactions erupted from the crowd.

"What!?" exclaimed Leia.

"I trust all of you are unaware about this, so allow me to explain" said Fey'lya "Not long ago, Darth Vader escaped from the maximum security prison Mon Mothma and General Kota laid out for him and he has since returned to the Empire. Of course, none of you would know this since they kept it under wraps to avoid causing a commotion" The chattering and shocked expressions of the crowds had evolved into fierce arguments and other signs of disdain and some of the more angered individuals began yelling in disgust.

"How did he learn that?" asked Ackbar "Only we knew about that course of action we considered"

"He's more resourceful than I thought" said Kota.

"I'm not here to demonize my opponent nor will I say she hasn't made achievements while in office" said Fey'lya "I am merely here today to offer a choice, a choice that you alone can make. Do you want to spend the rest of this war scrounging off the edges of the Empire with no end in sight until the Emperor comes up with an even worse superweapon or plan to wipe us all out? Or…do you want to make a change that will have true impact? Vote me, and I will promise you this; no more scrounging, no more _small_ victories! We'll hit the Empire hard and where it hurts! We'll send those Imperial swine into the abyss where they belong and make them pay for everything they've done to us!" Cheering and applause that could heard all across the city erupted from various portions of the crowds which caused Fey'lya to smile sinisterly. He then turned back towards Mon Mothma. "Do you see this? That's democracy, the will of the people. Of course, you would know all about democracy from serving in the Galactic Senate. And remember, the Corellian Treaty dictated that it's the direction the Rebellion should remain in"

"I was there the day it was written" said Mon Mothma.

"And that feat alone won't save your campaign" said Fey'lya "You've had a good run, old lady; but more and more, people want a change…a change that I will provide" He moved off with a stride of absolute satisfaction, believing that he had essentially already won.

"I don't like this" said Leia.

"Nor do I" said Mon Mothma "But we have to go along with it for now. Entering a trap with the knowledge that it's a trap is better than rushing in blindly in an attempt to avoid it"

"We'd better tread carefully and beware of traps" said Ackbar "Especially from him"

 _Meanwhile_

The _Rogue Shadow_ sat atop a cliff in Tusken Canyon that overlooked Gardulla's former palace. R2 and PROXY stood outside the ship and watched the palace carefully.

"So, this is the place?" asked PROXY. R2 beeped affirmatively. "Good; now all we need to do is get and find them…" He shifted his appearance to one of an Imperial officer. "…then we'll leave immediately" R2 beeped in response before leading the way off.

 _Meanwhile_

Within the storage bay of Gardulla's palace, a pair of Imperial engineers examined a large crate that stood in the middle of the room.

"Strange…" said one of the engineers "This is very, very strange"

"Should we report it to the commander?" asked the other engineer.

"We'll inspect it a little further then inform him about it" replied the first engineer "I just want to be sure of everything first"

"What's all this about?" asked an Imperial commander as he walked up to them while being escorted by two stormtroopers.

"Commander, this crate was dropped off here a few minutes ago" replied the first engineer.

"What's so peculiar about it?" asked the commander.

"For starters, it arrived here abruptly with no authorization beforehand at all" replied the first engineer "All we know is that it apparently came from Kamino, but that's all" The Imperial commander looked the crate up and down and scratched his chin while thinking.

"Have you scanned it?" asked the Imperial commander.

"We've tried, but we couldn't see what was inside" replied the first engineer "It's covered in some sort of material that we can't see through"

"How about opening it up?" asked the Imperial commander.

"That's unwise at the moment" replied the first engineer "Since we don't know what's inside; we have no idea on what will happen if it opens. For all we know, it could possibly be a bomb and opening it is the trigger"

"Well then, we'll just have to deal with it later then" said the Imperial commander "The bounty hunters will be shipping the Jedi out soon and I want to make sure the Emperor knows that we were the ones who captured them in the first place. Frankly, I would deliver them myself if we weren't constantly reminded to stay put with full men at b—" Suddenly, a large titanium claw struck through from the inside of the crate and stabbed the second engineer in the stomach with a loud scream of pain. This drew the attention of everyone in the storage bay as the claw retracted back into the crate with the engineer's dead body being pushed off as it disappeared within the black abyss inside. "What in the Core Worlds was that?!"

"Whatever's inside the box" replied the first engineer as he looked down at the bleeding body of the second engineer. As they looked inside the hole created by the claw, a pair of glowing green eyes opened up and stared back at them while slowly waving around ominously with a low pitch snarl. "And whatever it is, I have a bad feeling about it!" Suddenly, the creature inside the box struck forward with a loud and rasp screech.

 _Meanwhile_

Ahsoka opened her eyes as she heard the sound of countless screaming from outside her cell and gasped under her.

"Do you hear something?" asked one of two stormtroopers guarding Ahsoka's cell from the outside.

"Sounds like screaming to me" replied the other stormtrooper "It sounds pretty bad. I'll contact the commander to see what's up. Commander, do you read me?" At that moment, metallic footsteps echoed throughout the hallway towards them.

"Did you hear that?!" exclaimed the first stormtrooper as he readied his blaster.

"I did" replied the second stormtrooper as he readied his blaster as well "Given the circumstances, we'd better be prepared. Keep an eye out; if it's an attacker, shoot on sight" A large and foreboding shadow of an unknown shape appeared in the corner of the hallway and started creeping up towards them ominously.

"I don't like the looks of this!" said the second stormtrooper. From within the confines of her cell, Ahsoka could hear what was going on outside only in muffled voices and sounds that could hardly be made out. As the tension around her rose with the incoming footprints, she looked for a way out but knew it was impossible since she was still bound to the containment field. Suddenly, the footprints stopped and her undivided attention was immediately drawn to the door in front of her. What happened next seemed like it took an instant; a conversation of muffled and unidentifiable words occurred between three voices followed shortly by the brief sound of blaster fire and then by the collapse of two bodies. Knowing that something was coming, Ahsoka breathed in heavily and tensely as the penetrating silence was broken by the sound of the door in front of her opening up. R2 rolled in with a beep and was followed by an Imperial officer.

"Ah, there you are!" said the Imperial officer as he turned back into PROXY.

"R2, PROXY!" said Ahsoka "I'm so glad to see you both! How did you find me?"

"R2 had me follow you to Lady Valarian's hideout in disguise to see how you were doing and to be there in case you needed assistance" replied PROXY "I couldn't get past the guards without revealing myself so I kept close watch of the area. Eventually I caught sight of stormtroopers carrying you out so I chased after them, only for them to get away. I reported back what I saw to R2 so we travelled off in the direction I saw them go in and have spent the past twenty-four hours searching until we finally found your whereabouts" R2 rolled over to the containment field controls and shut them off, freeing Ahsoka. He then beeped and shot out both Luke's lightsaber and her own, which she caught with both hands.

"I was thinking of getting back into Jar'kai" said Ahsoka "So, do you know where to find Luke?"

"R2 was able to upload a map of the facility and we found two cells marked to hold Jedi prisoners" replied PROXY as R2 projected the map in front of them "We went to this one first and found you, Skywalker's cell shouldn't be too far away"

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Ahsoka "Let's go get him!" She rushed off out of the door, past the unconscious stormtroopers, and was followed closely behind by R2 and PROXY.

 _Meanwhile_

The dead bodies of various stormtroopers and Imperial officers lay scattered across the hallway, all ravaged, torn apart, and even showing signs of electrical burns. Bane, Zuckuss, and 4-LOM came across them as they walked down the hallway and stopped at the sight of them.

"Well, what do we have here?" said Bane.

"It appears that they have been destroyed by a powerful assailant" said 4-LOM "Whoever they are, they possessed immeasurable strength and savagery. It is likely that they are still here" A mechanical bellow echoed across the palace.

"It's more than likely now" said Zuckuss "Perhaps we can overpower the attacker if we come up with a strategy for it"

"I'm not placing all my cards on that gamble" said Bane "Let's just get the Jedi and go, you can't get paid if you're dead"

 _Meanwhile_

Ahsoka, R2, and PROXY rushed over towards the door of Luke's cell.

"This is the place" said PROXY. R2 beeped and started unlocking the door at the terminal.

"Not the highest security to say the least" said Ahsoka.

"From what we've found out about this place, it used to be the headquarters of Gardulla the Hutt and was left abandoned for years and has only recently started being used by the Empire" said PROXY.

"Really?" said Ahsoka.

"It appears that the Hutts have less complex security than the Empire" said PROXY "And I guess the Empire didn't feel it necessary to add such intricacies to a base on a backwater planet" R2 opened the door where they found Luke hanging from his containment field.

"There he is, let's get him down" said Ahsoka. R2 beeped, rolled over to the containment field controls and deactivated it. As Luke was about to drop to the ground, Ahsoka swooped in and caught him. "Hey Skyguy…" Luke smiled and opened his eyes.

"Don't tell me you're gonna' get snippy…" smirked Luke. He stood himself up and Ahsoka hugged him tightly. "I'm glad you're okay, but how did you get out?"

"I had a bit of help" smirked Ahsoka as she pointed her thumb over to R2 and PROXY.

"We can always count on you; can't we, R2?" smirked Luke. R2 beeped in response. "Anyways, we'd better get out of here quick; Cad Bane's here"

"Bane's here?!" said Ahsoka "What am I saying, of course he is. Alright; R2, PROXY, show us the way out" R2 beeped and lead them out of the cell. "By the way, you might need this" She handed Luke his lightsaber. "If we run into, things are going to get messy"

"For you that is" said a voice from behind them. They turned around to see Bane, Zuckuss, and 4-LOM standing before them. Luke and Ahsoka ignited their lightsabers in response. Bane pulled out his blasters and pointed them towards the two Jedi. "Don't bother"

"We've got no time for this, Bane" said Luke.

"That makes two of us" said Bane "You see; we're making our exit now, but we're taking you with us"

"Let me guess, you had an argument with the Imps so now you're taking things into your own hands" said Luke.

"Nah, there all dead" said Bane. A look of shock befell on the faces of Luke and Ahsoka at the sound of this. "Don't worry, I wasn't the one; but whatever got rid of them is sure to cause trouble for me if I stick around for too long, that's why we're out of here now and taking you two with us"

"It figures" said Ahsoka "Something happens to the Imperials in this base and your first instinct is to take us and run?"

"Nothing to be gained by staying here" said Bane "And don't give me your Alliance trash about sticking together against a common foe; my only loyalty is to my reward, which you two will bring me if I take you back to Coruscant. So, what's it gonna' be; come willingly or being dragged there?"

"I think you know the answer to that is "neither"" said Luke.

"I'm fine with that" said Bane. As the two Jedi reared into a fighting stance and the three bounty hunters readied themselves for battle, a loud mechanical screech was heard followed by the thumping of colossal footsteps. The chilled air that was created from the sounds caused everyone to freeze almost immediately as the footsteps got closer and closer. And then, from around the corner of the hallway, it stomped out; a colossal metallic monster with razor-sharp, titanium claws that dripped red with blood. Its body was hunched over with several luminescent green spots around and along its back and its face resembled General Grevious's mask with a pair of piercing, pupiless eyes that glowed green.

"There's a face I never thought I'd see again" said Ahsoka. As it approached them, something spiked within Luke, Ahsoka, and Zuckuss.

"Do you feel it?" asked Luke.

"Yeah…" said Ahsoka "I don't know how, but this thing's Force-sensitive"

"The Force?" said Bane "You mean that thing's like you guys?"

"Not exactly" said Ahsoka "I mean, we don't know what its capabilities are exactly"

"Then figure them out, because it's coming right for us!" snapped Bane.

"Do you really think we can—" said Luke before being cut off by the monster's earsplitting screech. It then reared up and dashed over towards them. "Incoming! Get out of the way!" The seven of them quickly moved to the side as the monster dashed forward; but as it moved past them, it reached out with one of its bladed claws and claws Ahsoka in the ankle.

"AHHHH!" screamed Ahsoka as she fell to the ground with a bloody ankle.

"Ahsoka!" exclaimed Luke. As he looked back at her, he saw the monster approaching slowly and surely like a predator cornering its wounded prey. He rushed over towards her only to be blasted back into the wall by force-lightning. "It…can use lightning?" As the monster raised its claws to finish Ahsoka off, it found itself pulled back by several cables. Bane hovered behind it with a pair of cables stuck to its back while Zuckuss and 4-LOM pulled it down by the arms.

"You're all wrapped up!" said Bane as he attached the cable to the roof. Zuckuss and 4-LOM attached their cables to the walls and stepped back out of its range. As the monster growled and snarled while it attempted to break free of the cables, Bane flew down to Luke and landed in front of him. "Consider this a favor; if you hadn't kept us talking for this long, this thing probably would've taken us out while we were dragging you guys away"

"Well; thanks, I guess" said Luke. They looked over towards the monster as it attempted to struggle free. "I'm guessing you're expecting a payment"

"Those cables aren't going to hold it long, so I'll make it quick" said Bane "The three of us are out of here, but we'll let you stay behind to finish this thing off however you see fit"

"What makes you think we'll comply with that?" asked Luke.

"You're Jedi; it's what you do" replied Bane "I'm basically letting you off easy. I could fight you myself right here, right now and attempt to drag you off to collect my reward; but that thing would likely break free and kill both of us" At that moment, the monster ripped itself free of one of the cables on its arm. "It's almost out! Let's move!" He, Zuckuss, and 4-LOM rushed off. "I'm throwing away a fortune by letting you go, don't make me regret it!" As he disappeared around the side of the corridor, the monster broke free of the cable on its other arm and roared furiously.

"Need a hand?" asked Ahsoka as she limped up to Luke.

"You sure you're okay?" asked Luke "It got you pretty bad back there in the ankle"

"It's okay, I dealt with it" replied Ahsoka. Luke looked down at her ankle which now housed a bloodied bandaged. "Not the best work at attending wounds, but it should hold for now" Luke felt unsure and knew that Ahsoka was downplaying her injury for his sake, but both their attention was soon drawn to the monster as it roared again. "So what did Bane tell you?"

"He basically said that he was letting us slip this one time as long as we take care of this thing" replied Luke.

"So how do we take care of it?" asked Ahsoka. Luke thought for a moment as he observed the monster struggling to get free from the remaining two cables stuck in its back.

"Only a minute ago, it almost killed all of us in one move" replied Luke "If we keep fighting in an enclosed space like this hallway, it'll likely kill us as long as we stay within its reach…we have to lead it outside!"

"Right!" said Ahsoka "Artooie, take us to the nearest exit!" As R2 beeped in response and turned in the direction of one of the corridors, the monster broke free and roared viciously.

"C'mon!" said Luke "Let's get out of here!" R2 sped off down the direction he had turned to and was followed by PROXY and then by Luke and Ahsoka. Ahsoka limped at first before almost falling over but her hand was caught by Luke who pulled her up onto his back and rushed off with her. "I had a feeling that ankle was no good"

"Well, excuse me for trying to make the most of the situation" said Ahsoka "If we ever get out of this, I'm taking a long break; I don't fancy playing damsel-in-distress again anytime soon"

"Keep your lightsaber at the ready" said Luke "It might shoot lightning at us again, so we'd better be prepared"

"Got it" said Ahsoka as she pulled her lightsaber out again and ignited it.

"And try not to cut my head off with that" said Luke as he ignited his lightsaber.

"I'll make sure I swing it _away_ from you" smirked Ahsoka.

"PROXY, we may need another lightsaber to hold the lightning back" said Luke "You know what to do"

"Understood, master" said PROXY. He changed his appearance to that of Obi-Wan Kenobi and ignited his blue lightsaber.

"Alright, let's step on it!" said Luke.

"Luke; once we're outside, how are we going to stop it?" asked Ahsoka.

"I'm not sure exactly" replied Luke "It's just so out of the blue that I'm playing it by year. Well, at least we have R2 to guide us; with that map, he probably knows this facility better than any of us by now"

 _Meanwhile_

As Bane, Zuckuss, and 4-LOM rushed out of the palace and towards the _Mist Hunter_ , they were greeted by Todo 360.

"I trust your work today has been successful, Mr. Bane?" said Todo.

"Save it, Todo!" snapped Bane "We're making a hasty exit"

"Are you certain this is the most logical decision?" asked 4-LOM.

"We could still go back and collect them" said Zuckuss.

"True" said Bane "Once they're done finishing off the droid, we could sneak up and catch them unawares. But while I'm perfectly capable of taking on those Jedi in a straightforward fight, I've had enough of these "Force-sensitives" for now"

"It seems very unlike you to pass up an opportunity like this" said Zuckuss.

"They'll be another soon enough" said Bane "One day, those Jedi will come into my sight again as opponents and rewards; and when that happens, there'll be no common enemy to save 'em"

 _Meanwhile_

"I see daylight!" said Ahsoka.

"Looks like we're almost there!" said Luke "Just a little further!" As it they reached the end of the corridor, the light seemed to almost expand to a blurring and blinding whiteness; and as it settled back, the four of them found themselves on a balcony overlooking a vast and empty arena.

"So…this is outside" said Ahsoka "Where to now?" R2 beeped before activating his rocket-boosters and hovering off.

"I guess we follow R2" said Luke "Let's find a way down" At that moment, the monster burst through and screeched viciously. It then shot force-lightning at them again at almost blinding speed. Despite being able to use their lightsabers to absorb most of the volts, they soon found themselves forced off the ledge of the balcony and falling down towards the arena below. Luke and Ahsoka spun over towards the wall used their lightsabers to cling onto it to slow their fall and PROXY landed on his feet with little damage (due to him being a droid designed to take great impairment). As Luke and Ahsoka tried to catch their breath, the monster leapt down behind them and roared again.

"This thing just doesn't give up, doesn't it!?" exclaimed Ahsoka. R2's whistle echoed across the arena and the three of them turned to see the spunky little astromech droid standing in the middle of an archway at the other end of the arena. "He's always one step ahead of us, isn't he?"

"Are you complaining?" asked Luke as he rushed off towards R2.

"Nope" replied Ahsoka. As they reached the archway, R2 lead them through where they entered a storage room that housed various large crates stacked on top of each other and towering around them. "What's this?" R2 shot his cable at one of the crates and pulled the side of it off, revealing explosives inside.

"Explosives!" said Luke as he looked and examined the crates around him "This place must be packed with them. Enough to blow up that thing back there"

"R2 continues to amaze" said Ahsoka "So all we have to do is wait for it to come in and set off these explosives while we're at a safe distance"

"Easier said than done" said Luke "It'll be here soon, so we'd better be prepared" Within a few seconds, the monster burst through the archway and roared again. "Now, let's move it!" As the monster thrust its large claws into the ground in an attempt to skewer them, Luke, Ahsoka, and PROXY leapt up into the air past it. Within that moment, Ahsoka force-gripped R2 and pulled him along with them while Luke force-gripped a crate and knocked it down onto the other crates. This triggered a chain explosion which erupted around the monster and encased it within flames before the roof and walls around it collapsed and crushed it. Fortunately, Luke and the others escaped the blast just in time and landed just outside the now rubble and debris filled archway.

"So…we got it" said Ahsoka "It's…over, right?"

"Not just yet" said Luke "We can't just leave its remains here, we have to have a closer look. R2, PROXY; fetch the _Shadow_ , we'll be making a quick departure after we're done here"

 _A few minutes later_

Luke and Ahsoka stood outside the _Rogue Shadow_ and slowly force-lifted the debris together and placed it aside.

"We should be getting close by now" said Luke "Let's go in a little deeper"

"Hopefully it's not still active, otherwise we're done for" said Ahsoka.

"We can't risk it, we can't leave it to question" said Luke "We have to find out to make sure it's gone for good" They continued to remove the debris until something grey amongst the pile caught their eyes. "Did you see that?"

"How could I not?" replied Ahsoka. They both ignited their lightsabers and climbed the mound of debris cautiously. When they finally reached the grey tip at the top, they slowly pushed the debris out of the way until finally unearthing what lay beneath. The remains of monster lay in front of them, skewered by spiked structures. The green glow of its eyes had ceased and it appeared to be no longer functioning. However, there was something else about it that Luke and Ahsoka sensed that just wasn't right.

"Do you feel it?" asked Luke.

"Yeah" replied Ahsoka "It's alive…and…in pain"

"So that's how it was able to be Force-sensitive" said Luke "It's part organic"

"How?" said Ahsoka "Something like this has never been done before"

"First time for everything, I guess" said Luke.

"This just can't be true" said Ahsoka "It's…It's impossible"

"Then let's figure out how it works" said Luke "We'll cut it open, but be careful" Slowly and carefully, the two of them began dissecting the monster piece by piece until finally arriving at the center of its body. What lay in front of them filled them with both shock and dread.

"Ru-Thire…" said Ahsoka.

"It can't be" said Luke. Ru-Thire the Vurk Inquisitor lay within the machine, his skin still green but now cracked. Various cords and wires were attached to his body and his arms were entrapped within metal clamps. His body below the torso was not visible underneath the cords and metal attachments. They noticed that he was breathing heavily but his eyes were a deep white with light grey pupils and no signs of life.

"Is…Is he…alive?" asked Ahsoka. Luke waved his hand in front of Ru-Thire's face, but there was no response from his eyes.

"He's still breathing, so he is technically still alive" replied Luke "But he appears to braindead and non-responsive"

"How could this be?" said Ahsoka "We saw him die back on Yavin"

"The only explanation I can think of is that someone must have dug him up before his body ceased, put him on life support, and then put him in this…thing" said Luke "It sounds so impossible, I know; but it's the best I can think of" The two of them examined the half-dead Vurk with a mixture of unsettlement and pity. They could feel great pain within him that seemed to almost burn intensely.

"We can't leave him like this" said Ahsoka "I never felt so much pain before, it's just unbearable"

"You're right" said Luke "It's just inhumane; he may have been a Dark Jedi, but no one deserves this fate"

"It looks like he's beyond recovery" said Ahsoka "Even if his mind was intact, he's too far gone to be removed from here. Do you think…"

"It's the only way" said Luke "I don't like it, but we can't let him suffer anymore"

"Yeah" said Ahsoka "You know; when I first became a padawan, I had no idea I'd be doing something like this"

"I'll do it" said Luke. He lifted his lightsaber up to a large cord that was attached to the back of Ru-Thire's head.

"No" said Ahsoka. She lifted her lightsaber up to the cord as well. "We both do it, neither of us will share the burden alone. It was because of our encounter with him that he became this, it's only fitting that we…give him peace" What happened next was almost an instant, but it felt like it took an eternity. The feeling of dread washed over Luke and Ahsoka as they contemplated what they were about to do. Finally; they took a deep breath in, closed their eyes, and ignited their lightsabers. Then with a swift swipe, they cut the cord off without a second thought. Whatever life was left in Ru-Thire's eyes ceased as they closed halfway, his body slouched over forward bleakly as his breathing stopped, and Luke and Ahsoka felt through the Force that his pain had stopped.

"It's over" said Luke.

 _Later_

The _Rogue Shadow_ flew past a heard of banthas on the Dune Sea and the skeleton of a greater krayt dragon as it departed Tatooine at long last. In the cockpit, Ahsoka looked over at Luke who was looking surprisingly bleak and quiet. Seeing him like this upset her, so she decided to talk to him about what she knew was bothering him.

"We did the right thing, didn't we?" said Ahsoka.

"Like you said before, we couldn't leave him like that" said Luke "What we did back there was…basically mercy"

"You don't sound so sure of that" said Ahsoka.

"I know what we did there was…mercy, but I just can't be at peace with that" said Luke "When I started training under Obi-Wan, he taught the basic principles of what it was to be a Jedi; and one that always stuck out to me was that Jedi never kill unarmed opponents. I understand that Ru-Thire was beyond saving and we were merely granting him…rest, but it still just troubles me" Ahsoka carefully reached over and clasped Luke's hand.

"Decisions like this are never easy" said Ahsoka "The aftershock can haunt you for a long time. But I'll tell you this; I fought alongside Obi-Wan and your father for so long and I know they would have found the situation just as difficult as you did" Luke looked up into her eyes with a soft glare. "No matter how powerful a Jedi can be, we're all still people underneath; and when faced with situations that conflict with our morals, it's never easy for any of us" Luke managed a small smile. Suddenly, Leia's hologram appeared in front of them.

"Luke, Ahsoka; R2 just messaged me about how your mission turned out" said Leia "You were out of contact for almost a day, we were really worried about you two"

"It was close, but we got out of it" said Luke "We're on our way back to Hoth now to report what we've seen to General Rieekan"

"That's good to know" said Leia.

"So what's happened since we left?" asked Luke "How did Mon Mothma's speech go?"

"It's a bit complicated, so I'd prefer to discuss it later" replied Leia "But…there's something else you must know. There was a recent break-in on the Maximum Security Prison on Gus Treta and…Vader escaped" Luke's eyes opened up wide with shock as he processed what he had just heard. He began to breathe deeply and his fists began to alternate between clenching and unclenching. As Ahsoka caught sight of this and examined him with concern, Luke lowered his head as if in defeat.

"No…" said Luke under his breath.

 **Author's note** : Okay, so that's it for now. Once again, I'm really sorry about all the complications that have been coming up lately; but hopefully a hiatus from this fic will refresh me and things will run more smoothly from now on. In the meantime, I'll be focusing on my Transformers fanfiction series so I'll at least be putting good use to my time away. Well; until I come back, may the Force be with you all.

 **Hellman76** : I'm glad you're excited for the time skip. I'll be going into the next year of the war to help progress the story and give a sense of things changing,

 **CT7567Rules** : Don't worry, Rex will appear in the series eventually but there are a lot of things going to happen beforehand. I feel it's important that things are not truly easy for the Rebellion; they may have evolved from groups of rag-tag rebels, but they still have to remain the underdogs of the war to show how powerful the Empire is.

 **Just a Crazy Man** : Thanks for the support :)

 **Martin** : I'm not sure about including Galen Marek as a force ghost. I sort of feel that becoming a force ghost should be a skill that only a few Jedi have learnt so that death is still a big threat to the Jedi. Thanks for the idea nonetheless.


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